Management

Led by an experienced team of business and medical professionals, SI-BONE is uniquely positioned to make a dramatic impact on the treatment options available for patients suffering from chronic unresolved low back pain.

Jeffrey Polack, Vice President of Clinical and Marketing

Jeffrey Polack has twenty years of early-stage marketing, clinical and business development experience in the medical device industry. His primary focus has been in cardiovascular and spine markets.

He has co-founded a Palo Alto-based medical technology incubator, Matrix Medical, LLC. Matrix has licensed its intellectual property to two successful start-up device companies in pulmonology and endovascular surgery. Mr. Polack has worked with both major medical device industry companies (Inverness Medical, St. Jude Medical, Thoratec) and early stage to mid-size companies (OrthoKinematics, Axis Surgical, NanoVasc, Possis Medical, Vascular Architects, IntraLuminal, Vascular Control Systems, Skeletal Kinetics and TriVascular).

Mr. Polack's expertise has contributed to strengthening value inflection points for start-up companies through clinical development, clinical evaluation and early commercialization. He has managed multiple product launches, contributing to rapid sales growth. Mr. Polack has developed a global network of key medical device thought leaders in the spine world, which will benefit SI-BONE.

Several start up companies, where Mr. Polack consulted or was marketing executive, were acquired by larger device companies, e.g., Bayer, Johnson and Johnson, Boston Scientific, and and Guidant.

Mr. Polack has a Masters in Business Administration in marketing and finance from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. He has a graduate degree in plant physiology from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biological Sciences and History from St. John's University.

An Advanced Approach to Surgical Management of SI Joint Dysfunction
Up to 25% of all low back pain is SI Joint in origin – but the diagnosis of SI Joint disease is frequently overlooked. (Cohen, et al.)
It is common to link low back pain with protruding disc even when neurological signs are absent. (Weksler, et al.)
It is common for pain from SI Joint dysfunction to mimic discogenic or radicular low back pain. (Weksler, et al.)
Many patients go on to receive lumbar fusion instead of SI Joint fusion – so SI Joint disease should be strongly considered in differential diagnosis of low back pain. (Weksler, et al.)
Now there is an approach to surgical management of SI Joint dysfunction that’s easier and less invasive than traditional open surgery.
The iFuse Implant System consists of porous plasma spray coated implants, surgically inserted across the SI Joint to create fixation leading to fusion—from the inside.
The iFuse creates a biomechanically rigorous fixation/fusion system, designed to support reliable fixation/fusion and acute weight bearing capacity.
With the iFuse Implant System, there is no need for BMP in conjunction with autologous bone graft or additional pedicle screws, rods or hollow modular anchorage screws or cannulated compression screws or threaded cages within the joint or fracture fixation screws.
iFuse benefits:
The iFuse Implant System is designed to be the sacroiliac joint fusion/fixation method of choice for spine surgeons.
iFuse is a minimally invasive surgical solution to replace open surgical SI Joint fusion.
With iFuse there's minimal incision size, minimal soft tissue stripping, minimal tendon irritation and reduced risk of infection.
iFuse is a simplified minimally invasive surgical procedure.
Just drill, broach, insert Implants and close.
iFuse has a simple technique which reduces OR time to less than 1 hour.
iFuse has 3X shear and 7X bending strength compared with screws.
iFuse has improved patient perception of stability post-implant.
The incidence of SI joint degeneration in patients was 75% at 5 years post-fusion, which was significantly higher than in the non-fusion group, 38.2%. (Ha, et al.)
Among patients with one-segment fusion, 91% developed SI joint degeneration. (Ha, et al.)
Regardless of whether the fusion includes the sacrum, the SI joint is influenced by increased mechanical stress arising from lumbar/lumbosacral fusion. (Ha, et al.)
Posterolateral lumbar/lumbosacral fusion can be a cause of SIJ degeneration. (Ha, et al.)