Implant for orthopedic applications

• US 20040024457A1
• Filed: 06/04/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Warsaw Orthopedic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Warsaw Orthopedic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Boyce, Todd M., Shimp, Lawrence A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,758,438 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/13.17
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/08 Muscles; Tendons; Ligaments sutures A61B17/04

Abstract

An implant for orthopedic applications includes a quantity of flexible, elongated elements at least some of which possess connective tissue-healing activity, the elongated elements being arranged in substantially common alignment along their longitudinal axis.

Claims

1. An implant comprising a quantity of flexible, elongated elements at least some of which possess connective tissue-healing activity, the elements being arranged in substantially common alignment along their longitudinal axis

2. The implant of claim 1 wherein elongated elements are filaments, threads, fibers or strips of biocompatible material possessing inherent or added connective tissue-healing activity.

3. The implant of claim 1 wherein elongated elements possess connective tissue-healing activity which is one or more of chondrogenesis, osteoinduction, osteogenesis and osteoconduction.

4. The implant of claim 2 wherein the biocompatible material is a tissue selected from the group consisting of bone, ligament, tendon and small intestine submucosa.

5. The implant of claim 4 wherein the bone tissue is cortical bone, the elongated elements of the bone being partially, superficially, segmentally or fully demineralized.

6. The implant of claim 2 wherein the biocompatible material contains at least one added osteoinductive substance.

7. The implant of claim 6 wherein the osteoinductive substance is selected from the group consisting of bone-derived growth factor, bone morphogenic proteins, osteogenic proteins, hormones, growth hormone, platelet derived growth factor, insulin-like growth factors, DNA-encoding therapeutic agents, demineralized bone, ceramic powders and bioglasses.

8. The implant of claim 1 wherein elongated elements are bonded to each other through chemical linkages.

9. The implant of claim 1 wherein elongated elements range from about 1 cm to about 1 meter in length, from about 2 mm to about 30 mm in thickness and from about 2 mm to about 30 mm in width.

10. The implant of claim 1 wherein elongated elements range from about 3 cm to about 8 cm in length, about 0.5 mm to about 10 mm in thickness and from about 0.5 mm to about 10 mm in width.

11. The implant of claim 4 wherein the bone tissue is cortical bone and the elongated bone elements obtained therefrom possess a median length of from about 2 to about 200 mm, a median thickness of from about 0.05 to about 2 mm, a median width of from about 1 mm to about 20 mm, a median length to median thickness ratio of from about 50:

1 to about 500;

1 and a median length to median width ratio of from about 10;

1 to about 200;

1.

12. The implant of claim 4 wherein the bone tissue is cortical bone and the elongated bone elements obtained therefrom possess a median length of from about 10 to about 100 mm, a median thickness of from about 0.2 to about 1 mm, a median width of from about 2 to about 5 mm, a median length to median thickness ratio of from about 50:

1 to about 100;

1 and a median length to median width ratio of from about 50;

1 to about 100;

1.

13. The implant of claim 1 wherein elongated elements in the form of threads are assembled into yarns and the yarns are assembled into a braid.

14. The implant of claim 1 wherein elongated elements in the form of strips are assembled into a braid.

15. The implant of claim 1 wherein elongated elements are twisted into a cable.

16. The implant of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the elongated elements are formed of a synthetic polymer, ceramic, glass or metal.

17. The implant of claim 16 wherein the polymer, ceramic or glass is bioresorbable.

18. The implant of claim 1 wherein elongated elements are derived from bone and other elongated elements are formed of at least one of synthetic polymer, ceramic, glass or metal.

19. The implant of claim 18 wherein the polymer, ceramic or glass is bioresorbable.

20. The implant of claim 18 wherein the elongated elements are assembled into a braid.

21. The implant of claim 19 wherein the elongated elements are assembled into a braid.

22. The implant of claim 1 containing at least one medically/surgically useful substance that promotes or accelerates healing.

23. The implant of claim 22 wherein the medically/surgically useful substance is selected from the group consisting of collagen, insoluble collagen derivatives, collagen lattices, antiviral agents, antimicrobials, antibiotics, biocidal/biostatic sugars, amino acids, peptides, vitamins, inorganic elements, co-factors for protein synthesis, hormones, endocrine tissue, endocrine tissue fragments, synthesizers, enzymes, polymer cell scaffolds with parenchymal cells, angiogenic drugs, antigenic agents, cytoskeletal agents, cartilage fragments, living cells, natural extracts, genetically engineered or modified living cells, tissue transplants, demineralized bone powder, DNA delivered by plasmid or viral vectors, autogenous tissues, bioadhesives, bone morphogenic proteins, osteoinductive factor, fibronectin, transforming growth factor-beta, endothelial cell growth factor, cementum attachment extracts, ketaserin, insulin-like growth factor, platelet derived growth factors, epidermal growth factor, interleukin, human alphathrombin, fibroblast growth factors, periodontal ligament chemotactic factor, human growth hormone, animal growth hormone, growth somatotropin, bone digesters, antitumor agents, immunosuppressants, permeation enhancers and nucleic acid.

24. The implant of claim 4 wherein part or all of the demineralized bone exhibits reduced osteoinductive properties.