EXPANDABLE FILLERS FOR BONE CEMENT

• US 20090054934A1
• Filed: 07/24/2008
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Depuy Synthes Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Depuy Spine Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Beyar, Etai, Beyar, Mordechay, Globerman, Oren, Wachsler-Avrahami, Hila, Shavit, Ronen
• Application Number:
  US12/178,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20090054934A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/86.R
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 24/001 Use of materials characterised by their function or physical properties
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 24/0036 Porous materials, e.g. foams or sponges
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 24/04 containing macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2430/02 for reconstruction of bones; weight-bearing implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/14 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/50 Materials characterised by their function or physical properties , e.g. injectable or lubricating compositions, shape-memory materials, surface modified materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/56 Porous materials, e.g. foams or sponges

Abstract

Methods, systems, and mixtures deliver a bone cement to a void in a bone, and provide an expandable filler for expanding the volume of the bone cement. The void in the bone is accessed and a bone cement material is introduced into the void in the bone. An expandable filler is introduced into the void in the bone. The introduction of the filler can take place simultaneously with the introduction of the bone cement or before or after the bone cement. The expandable filler can be expanded and the bone cement can be allowed to set.

Claims

1. A method for filling a void in a bone comprising:

(a) accessing the void in the bone;

(b) introducing bone cement into the void in the bone;

(c) introducing an expandable filler into the void in the bone;

(d) expanding the expandable filler; and

(e) allowing the bone cement to set.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the bone is a vertebra.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein expanding the expandable filler includes selectively applying energy from outside a body of a patient during treatment.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the energy applied consists of radiofrequency, heat, light, ultrasound, microwave, electrical, magnetic, or combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein expanding the expandable filler includes exposing the filler to heat emitted during curing of the bone to cause the expansion of the filler.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein expanding the expandable filler includes exposing the filler to fluid to cause the expansion of the filler.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein expanding the expandable filler restores the height of a damaged vertebra.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the bone cement and the filler are introduced at the same time.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the expandable filler is a gas.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the gas is mixed with the bone cement before injection.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the gas is mixed with the bone cement during injection of the bone cement into the void.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the filler is an expandable sponge.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the bone cement has no liquid phase and remains in a stable high viscosity state after mixing and before becoming substantially set.

14. A mixture for filling a void in a bone and restoring its height comprising:

an acrylic bone cement; and

an expandable filler;

wherein the filler can be expanded to expand the bone cement to restore the height of the bone having the void.

15. The mixture of claim 14, wherein the expandable filler is a gas.

16. The mixture of claim 14, wherein the expandable filler is a water swellable solute.

17. The mixture of claim 14, wherein the expandable filler is an expanding sponge.

18. The mixture of claim 14, wherein the acrylic bone cement has no liquid phase and remains in a stable high viscosity state after mixing and before becoming substantially set.

19. A system for filling a void in a bone and restoring its height comprising:

the mixture of claim 16; and

an energy source, the energy source being selectively applicable to expand the filler to expand the bone cement and restore the height of the bone having the void.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the energy source is a radio frequency energy source.