CONDUITS FOR ENHANCING TISSUE REGENERATION

• US 20140276640A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Osteoceramics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Osteoceramics, Inc.
• Inventors: McGee, Thomas D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,138,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/522
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/56 Surgical instruments or methods for treatment of bones or joints; Devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/74 Devices for the head or neck or trochanter of the femur trochanteric devices connected to the proximal part of an endoprosthetic femoral shaft A61F2/30739; endoprosthetic internal fixation devices for the head or neck of the femur A61F2/3601
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8095 Wedge osteotomy devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/28 Bones joints A61F2/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/002 Implant devices for drainage of body fluids from one part of the body to another intraocular A61F9/00781; middle ear A61F11/202

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for enhancing bone or soft tissue regeneration are provided. For example, a conduit, having one or more segments, can originate at a tissue regeneration site and can have a first opening to promote physiological signals to enter the conduit and transit to a second opening that penetrates a histologically rich source of multipotent mesenchymal cells, promoting the multipotent mesenchymal cells to produce tissue regeneration response products, the response products transiting through the second opening to egress at the first opening of the conduit, and promoting tissue regeneration at the tissue regeneration site. Transit of the physiological signals and the tissue regeneration response products is promoted through physical and/or chemical means, as is promotion of the anatomical functionality of the regenerated tissue. For example, a number of the segments of the conduit can be formed at least partially from an osteoceramic material.

Claims

1. A method of enhancing tissue regeneration by providing an interactive connection between a tissue regeneration site and a histologically rich multipotent mesenchymal cell source, comprising:

originating at the tissue regeneration site a first open end of a conduit structure, the conduit structure composed of a number of segments;

promoting physiological signals to transit from the first open end to the source of the histologically rich source of multipotent mesenchymal cells at a second open end of the conduit structure;

promoting at least some of the multipotent mesenchymal cells to produce tissue regeneration response products; and

promoting at least some of the tissue regeneration response products to transit to the first open end to enhance the tissue regeneration.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising forming the number of segments at least partially from an osteoceramic material.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising originating the first open end of a single conduit segment at the tissue regeneration site and terminating the second open end at the histologically rich source of multipotent mesenchymal cells.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising originating the first open end of a first conduit segment at the tissue regeneration site and terminating the second open end of a second segment at the histologically rich source of multipotent mesenchymal cells.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising forming at least a partial opening between a second open end of the first conduit segment and a first open end of the second adjacent conduit segment for ingress and transit of additional functional cells, cytokines, growth factors, blood, and blood vessels to further enhance the tissue regeneration.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising promoting the multipotent mesenchymal cells and/or products thereof to transit from the source by coating at least a portion of an inner surface and/or an outer surface of at least one conduit segment with cells from the source of the multipotent mesenchymal cells.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising promoting the multipotent mesenchymal cells and/or products thereof to transit to an open end of the conduit structure proximal to the tissue regeneration site by providing at least a portion of an inner surface and/or an outer surface of at least one conduit segment with calcium phosphate having a controlled rate of solubility in biological fluids.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising originating the first open end proximal to a damaged bone structure to be regenerated.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising structuring the first open end of the first conduit segment at the tissue regeneration site to have a number of sites proximal to the damaged bone structure for egress of the tissue regeneration response products.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising forming a number of perforations or channels in a wall of the first conduit segment to control a rate or a location for the egress of the tissue regeneration response products adjacent to the damaged bone structure.

11. The method of claim 8, comprising at least a segment of the conduit structure functioning as an orthopedic implant, wherein the source of the multipotent mesenchymal cells is in a bone structure adjacent to the damaged bone structure.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising supporting a plurality of conduit segments with a flexible biocompatible external tube to form a flexible conduit.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising forming the flexible biocompatible external tube from an artificial material.

14. The method of claim 12, comprising forming the flexible biocompatible external tube from a natural material.

15. The method of claim 1, comprising implanting at least one of the number of segments as at least part of the conduit structure for utilization of the multipotent mesenchymal cells for enhancing tissue regeneration in tibial tuberosity advancement.

16. The method of claim 1, comprising implanting at least one of the number of segments as at least part of the conduit structure for utilization of the multipotent mesenchymal cells for enhancing tissue regeneration in treatment of Perthes disease of the hip.

17. An apparatus to enhance bone regeneration, comprising:

a first number of segments formed from a material comprising calcium phosphate, at least one of the segments having a first open end configured for ingress of physiological signals proximal to a tissue regeneration site that promote multipotent mesenchymal cell differentiation and egress of mesenchymal cell differentiation products; and

a second number of segments formed from a material comprising calcium phosphate, at least one of the segments having a second open end configured to penetrate a source of multipotent mesenchymal cells and configured for egress of the physiological signals and ingress of the mesenchymal cell differentiation products;

wherein the segments form an extravascular or transvascular conduit to enhance the bone regeneration.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein at least one of the first number of segments and at least one of the second number of segments form the conduit from the first open end at the tissue regeneration site to the second open end at an intramedullary bone cavity.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein at least one of the first number of segments and at least one of the second number of segments form the conduit having at least a partial opening between the segments for ingress and transit of additional functional cells, cytokines, growth factors, blood, and blood vessels to enhance the bone regeneration.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, comprising at least a portion of an inner surface of at least one segment coated with calcium phosphate having a controlled rate of solubility in biological fluids.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the calcium phosphate of the first number of segments and the second number of segments is selected from a group consisting of tricalcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, oxyapatite, and fluoroapatite.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein at least one of the first number of segments and the second number of segments is formed from a rigid biocompatible construction comprising a ceramic-to-ceramic composite of a calcium phosphate material for bioactivity and an inert material for strength to reduce damage from external forces.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the inert material is compatible with the calcium phosphate material in physical properties and chemistry during processing.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the inert material is a magnesium aluminate spinel.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein at least one of the first number of segments and the second number of segments is an orthopedic implant.

26. A system to enhance tissue regeneration, comprising:

a number of segments of a conduit having a first open end at a tissue regeneration site to promote physiological signals to transit to a second open end configured for penetration into a histologically rich multipotent mesenchymal cell source, wherein the physiological signals promote differentiation of multipotent mesenchymal cells into tissue regeneration response products that transit the conduit to the tissue regeneration site to enhance the tissue regeneration; and

a bioactive, biocompatible implant to at least partially fill a void of partitioned bone.

27. A system to enhance bone regeneration, comprising:

a number of conduit segments having a first open end configured for penetration of an intramedullary bone cavity and ingress of multipotent mesenchymal cells and/or products thereof;

the number of conduit segments having a second open end configured for egress of the multipotent mesenchymal cells and/or the products thereof proximal to a site of a partitioned bone; and

a bioactive, biocompatible implant to at least partially fill a void of the partitioned bone;

wherein the number of conduit segments and the bioactive, biocompatible implant form a conduit for the multipotent mesenchymal cells to enhance the bone regeneration to fill a remaining void of the partitioned bone with new bone.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the bioactive, biocompatible implant has openings that contribute to functionality as a conduit segment.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the number of conduit segments is formed from an osteoceramic material.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the second open end of a conduit segment for egress of the multipotent mesenchymal cells and/or the products thereof is configured to substantially match a shape and/or angle of a surface of the partitioned bone proximal to the implant.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein the implant is formed from an osteoceramic material.

32. The system of claim 27, wherein the implant is configured as a wedge to separate a portion of the partitioned bone having an attachment site for a ligament or a tendon from an underlying portion of the partitioned bone.

33. The system of claim 27, wherein the implant is formed from a plurality of segments that are selectable from various shapes and sizes to more effectively fill the void of the partitioned bone.

34. The system of claim 27, wherein the implant is configured to have surfaces that substantially match surfaces of the partitioned bone to reduce a space of the void of the partitioned bone.

35. The system of claim 27, wherein the implant is configured to have a shape and a number of perforations, channels, and/or grooves to guide bone regeneration to fill the void of the partitioned bone with new bone in order to enable the new bone to serve an appropriate bodily function.

36. The system of claim 27, wherein the system comprises a number of cages and/or brackets between opposing surfaces of portions of the partitioned bone configured to maintain an intended separation distance of the portions of the partitioned bone.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the number of cages and/or brackets are configured to reduce relative movement of the portions of the partitioned bone.