Abstract: An osteoinductive/osteoconductive composition prepared from a quantity, of demineralized fibrous bone elements possessing an average surface area to volume ratio of about 100:1 to about 20:1, a quantity of mostly shaped regular non-fibrous bone elements possessing an average surface area to volume ratio of about 10:1 or less and a sufficient quantity of biocompatible fluid carrier sufficient to provide the composition as a deformable mass is provided herein. Also provided is a method of using the composition to repair a bone defect site.

Abstract: An implant system for fusing vertebrae includes a variety of shapes that may be stacked to accommodate different intervertebral spacings and curvatures. The implants comprise polymer-bone composites that have osteogenic properties. By selection of an appropriate set of shapes, the surgeon can tailor the overall shape of the implant before or during surgery, in order to best match the shape of the intervertebral cavity for a particular patient.

Abstract: An implant including a cell conducting phase and a binder phase. At least a portion of the surface of the implant includes the cell conducting phase, and the cell conducting phase defines a path from the surface of the implant to an interior of the implant.

Abstract: There is provided an implant retaining device, which has the effect of preventing an intervertebral implant from jutting out of the receiving bed. The implant retaining device generally includes a plate having at least one throughbore to receive a screw, and a screw for securing the plate to the vertebrae. The plate may be dimensioned to cover a portion of the opening of a receiving bed, and thus, need only be secured to a single vertebral body. In an alternate embodiment, the plate may be used during bone fracture correction procedures to prevent a bone screw from backing out of engagement with adjacent bone sections. A method of retaining an intervertebral implant using the device is also provided.

Abstract: A cortical bone implant is formed of two or more planks of bone which are connected with one or more offset pins. The pins may be right circular cylinders inserted into a corresponding offset bore which offset bends the inserted pin. The bending creates compression and tensile loads in the pin which loads creates friction compression forces on the planks connecting them to the pins by friction. The pins may have different shapes to form offset configurations in place of the offset bores for friction attachment to the planks. The implants may be formed of flat or L-shaped planks or bones formed into other shapes including interlocking arrangements. Processes and fixtures are disclosed for forming the pins, planks and implants. Various embodiments of the pins, planks, implants and processes are disclosed.

Abstract: A bone plating system includes an external fixation plate fabricated from bone and/or other remodelable materials(s).

Abstract: A non-destructive method for evaluating the strength of cancellous bone includes the steps of performing at least two of the following tests on each cancellous bone of a population of cancellous bones: a manual compression test, an apparent density test, and an appearance test; determining a compressive strength for each cancellous bone based on the two tests performed; comparing the determined compressive strength of each cancellous bone against a predetermined compressive strength requirement; and, eliminating a subset of cancellous bone from the population of cancellous bone, which subset of cancellous bone fails to meet the predetermined compressive strength requirement.

Abstract: An osteogenic osteoimplant in the form of a flexible sheet comprising a coherent mass of bone-derived particles, the osteoimplant having a void volume not greater than about 32% and a method of making an osteogenic osteoimplant having not greater than about 32% void volume, the method comprising: providing a coherent mass of bone-derived particles; and, mechanically shaping the coherent mass of bone-derived particles to form an osteogenic osteoimplant in the form of a flexible sheet.

Abstract: Biological-based polyurethanes and methods of making the same. The polyurethanes are formed by reacting a biodegradable polyisocyanate (such as lysine diisocyanate) with an optionally hydroxylated biomolecule to form polyurethane. The polymers formed may be combined with ceramic and/or bone particles to form a composite, which may be used as an osteoimplant.

Abstract: A composite osteoimplant. The osteoimplant includes a polymer and bone-derived particles. The composite is adapted and constructed to be formable during or immediately prior to implantation and to be set after final surgical placement.

Abstract: An osteogenic osteoimplant in the form of a flexible sheet comprising a coherent mass of bone-derived particles, the osteoimplant having a void volume not greater than about 32% and a method of making an osteogenic osteoimplant having not greater than about 32% void volume, the method comprising: providing a coherent mass of bone-derived particles; and, mechanically shaping the coherent mass of bone-derived particles to form an osteogenic osteoimplant in the form of a flexible sheet.

Abstract: Demineralized bone particles are obtained by demineralizing whole bone and thereafter subdividing the demineralized bone to provide the demineralized bone particles.

Abstract: An osteoinductive/osteoconductive composition prepared from a quantity, of demineralized fibrous bone elements possessing an average surface area to volume ratio of about 100:1 to about 20:1, a quantity of mostly shaped regular non-fibrous bone elements possessing an average surface area to volume ratio of about 10:1 or less and a sufficient quantity of biocompatible fluid carrier sufficient to provide the composition as a deformable mass is provided herein. Also provided is a method of using the composition to repair a bone defect site.

Abstract: An intervertebral spacer formed of dense cancellous human or animal bone is provided. In one preferred embodiment, the intervertebral spacer includes at least one bore which is dimensioned to receive a plug formed from cortical bone tissue. The cortical bone plug provides increased mechanical strength to the intervertebral spacer. Instrumentation for gauging the size of an intervertebral receiving bed and for grasping and inserting an intervertebral spacer or implant into an intervertebral receiving bed are also provided. These instruments include a spacer trial or set of spacer trials for determining the appropriate size spacer required for a particular surgical procedure, a spacer introducer for grasping and positioning a spacer at least partially within a receiving bed formed in the intervertebral space, and a bone tamp for driving a spacer into the receiving bed. Any one or all of these instruments may be provided in a kit for inserting an implant into the intervertebral space.

Abstract: An implant is provided as a solid aggregate of bone-derived elements, e.g., particles, powders, granules, fibers, strips and/or large pieces of xenogenic, allogenic, transgenic, tissue engineered or autologous cortical and/or cancellous bone, employing as binding agent for the bone-derived elements a precipitate or crystalline bridge of metal oxide, metal hydroxide, metal salt of an inorganic acid, metal salt of an organic acid, metal-containing silica based glass, or mixture thereof, the binding agent possessing at least slight solubility in polar solvent, adjacent bone-derived elements being bonded to each other through engagement with particles or bridge-like structures of bonding agent.

Abstract: An osteogenic osteoimplant in the form of a flexible sheet comprising a coherent mass of bone-derived particles, the osteoimplant having a void volume not greater than about 32% and a method of making an osteogenic osteoimplant having not greater than about 32% void volume, the method comprising: providing a coherent mass of bone-derived particles; and, mechanically shaping the coherent mass of bone-derived particles to form an osteogenic osteoimplant in the form of a flexible sheet.

Abstract: A method for promoting the growth of bone, periodontium, or ligament in a warm-blooded vertebrate, the method comprising: producing a surgical flap to expose the bone, periodontium or ligament; debriding the bone, periodontium or ligament to remove organic matter from the bone, periodontium or ligament; implanting an effective amount of an osteogenic bone graft material, the bone graft material consisting of an osteoimplant having not greater than about 32% void volume formed at least in part from elongate bone-derived elements optionally in combination with bone powder; replacing the flap; and, allowing the bone, periodontium or ligament to regrow.