Statement of the President 2024
It is the highest honor of my career to be elected President of the Sacroiliac Medical Experts Group. Since joining this organization in 2018, I have witnessed firsthand its incredible value through cutting-edge educational opportunities and the collaborative spirit it fosters. My passion for the pelvis and SI joint has been at the forefront of my professional journey for over 15 years, beginning with my Orthopedic Trauma Fellowship in Seattle, WA. Over this time, it has become crystal clear that disruptions to this critical joint and the resulting arthrosis cause profound challenges for our patients, drastically affecting their quality of life.
My experiences with SIMEG and leading professionals across all fields of patient care have only reinforced the truth that caring for SI joint patients requires a comprehensive, team-based approach. No single provider—whether surgeon, therapist, pain specialist, or holistic healer—can address these complex cases alone. As Dr. William Mayo once said, “The best interest of the patient is the only interest to be considered, and in order that the sick may have the benefit of advancing knowledge, union of forces is necessary.” This statement perfectly encapsulates the mission of SIMEG.
Together, we will unite all disciplines, offering unparalleled education and creating a robust network that empowers our teams to diagnose, treat, and restore the lives of patients suffering from SI joint disease.
With unwavering energy and commitment, I embrace the role of President of SIMEG and am excited to lead this organization to the forefront of SI joint education and care.
William “Woodie” W. Cross II, MD
Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota
United States of America
* (Commencement Address, Rush Medical College, University of Chicago, June 15, 1910. Collected Papers of St. Mary's Hospital, Mayo Clinic. 1910; 2:557-566)
Statement of the President 2023
I was honored to be elected as the new president of SIMEG in 2023. Since 2006, I have been executing sacroiliac joint (SIJ) treatments as an orthopedic and spine surgeon. In 2009, I started performing anterior SIJ arthrodesis under my mentor, Dr. Murakami.
I met Dr. Fuchs in 2014 and saw the wonderful DIANA method of Dr. John Stark in Germany. Moreover, I observed iFUSE surgery in 2015 in the US, finding it to be a good and easy method. I did a pilot study of five cases in Japan and realized that when we choose the right patients, we can get good results.
A member since the first international conference on SIJ surgery in 2015, I have been very happy to meet so many true sacroiliac joint specialists in the US and Europe.
I have been involved in 18 English papers on the SIJ. Some of them are related to the new sacroiliac intra-articular injection technique via the middle portion, others to the outcomes of anterior SIJ arthrodesis, and yet others to the surgical pitfalls of sacral dysmorphism induced by the lumbosacral transitional vertebrae. Biomechanics and the anatomy of the SIJ are also research fields in progress for me. However, I am not able yet to clarify the pathophysiology of cases that do well with SIJ arthrodesis and those that do well with conservative treatment.
The issue of the SIJ is not an easy one to solve, but its research field is very interesting. We will combine our strengths and compensate for our deficiencies, in order to provide the highest level of diagnosis and treatment of SIJ disorder to our patients.
Lastly, I respect all members of SIMEG. Despite our differences, we have all devoted most of our lives to the SIJ. Orthopedic surgeons, spine surgeons, hip surgeons, pain clinicians, physical therapists, and sports physicians, let's all take on the mysteries of the SIJ together!
Daisuke Kurosawa MD
Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery / Japan Sacroiliac Joint and Low Back Pain Center
JCHO Sendai Hospital, Sendai, Japan
