Methods of use of cartilage implants

• US 8,152,847 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2010
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Moirai Orthopaedics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Moirai Orthopaedics, LLC
• Inventors: Strzepa, Peter, Cook, Stephen D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Isabella, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoffman, Marcia
• Application Number:
  US12/687,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20100121452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 623/14.12, 623/23.44, 623/16.11, 623/20.18, 623/23.48, 623/23.5, 623/908, 623/902, 623/23.51
• US Class Current: 623/14.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30756 Cartilage endoprostheses A61F2/3603 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/38 for elbows or knees
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/3804 for elbows
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/40 for shoulders
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4261 for wrists
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30112 Rounded shapes, e.g. with rounded corners
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30125 elliptical or oval
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30299 umbrella-shaped or mushroom-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30822 Circumferential grooves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30878 with non-sharp protrusions, for instance contacting the bone for anchoring, e.g. keels, pegs, pins, posts, shanks, stems, struts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0008 elliptical or oval
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0093 Umbrella-shaped, e.g. mushroom-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00011 Metals or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00161 Carbon; Graphite
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00173 Graphite
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00179 Ceramics or ceramic-like structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00574 Coating or prosthesis-covering structure made of carbon, e.g. of pyrocarbon
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/00796 Coating or prosthesis-covering structure made of a phosphorus-containing compound, e.g. hydroxy(l)apatite
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/908 Bone

Abstract

Methods of using cartilage implant devices are provided. The methods include locating articular cartilage having a lesion, and utilizing an implant having dimensions compatible with the lesion. The method further includes forming a cavity in the articular cartilage, subchondral bone, and cancellous bond, and engaging the implant with the cavity so that the lower face of the articular end of the implant abuts against the subchondral bone, and the stem of the implant abuts against the cancellous bone.

Claims

1. A method of repair of articular cartilage comprising:

locating articular cartilage having a lesion;

utilizing an implant for repair of articular cartilage defects having dimensions compatible with the lesion, wherein the implant comprises;

an articular end having a circular perimeter, a convex upper face, and a concave lower face, the convex upper face having a spherical radius and the concave lower face having a spherical radius; and

a stem extending from the concave lower face away from the convex upper face along a vertical axis,

the stem having a plurality of stem circular perimeters and a first stem portion having a maximum stem circular perimeter beginning at the intersection of the stem and the concave lower face and extending at least about one millimeter from the concave lower face along the vertical axis, the maximum stem circular perimeter having a diameter less than the articular end circular perimeter,

the stem having second stem portion extending from the first stem portion away from the convex upper face along the vertical axis, the second stem portion having a plurality of second stem circular perimeters decreasing in diameter along at least one axis from the maximum circular perimeter of the first portion to a lesser second stem circular perimeter along the vertical axis of the stem; and

wherein the stem has a plurality of circumferential grooves, wherein each circumferential groove extends continuously around at least one of the plurality of second stem circular perimeters, wherein at least one circumferential groove is defined between two adjacent second stem circular perimeters and has a shape of a partial torus extending radially inward of the adjacent second stem circular perimeters, wherein the at least one circumferential groove blends into at least one of the two adjacent second stem circular perimeters,

wherein the stem blends into the concave lower face, and wherein the articular end and the stem each consist essentially of;

a graphite core and a pyrocarbon coating

forming a cavity in the articular cartilage, subchondral bone, and cancellous bone; and

engaging the implant with the cavity so that the concave lower face abuts against the subchondral bone and the stem abuts against the cancellous bone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the cavity comprises insertion of an autograft, an allograft bone, or various bone graft substitute materials into the lesion.