Abstract: A method of manufacturing an osteoinductive osteoimplant is provided which comprises the steps of: demineralizing part or all of at least one surface of a monolithic section of cortical bone to a depth of at least about 100 microns; and, configuring the monolithic section of cortical bone to provide an osteoimplant possessing an outer surface possessing at least one demineralized zone and a non-demineralized zone. An implant produced according to the above method demonstrates improved osteoinduction without producing any clinically significant reduction of strength in critical regions of the osteoimplant.

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 the offsets and different configurations 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: There is provided a combined two-part intervertebral implant (10) configured to restore the spacing between adjacent vertebrae. The implant (10) generally includes a spacer ring (12) having upper and lower vertebral engaging surfaces and a bore for receipt of a locking element (14). The implant (10) further includes a locking element (14) which is engageable within the spacer ring (12) and has a diameter or height greater than the thickness of the spacer ring. In one embodiment, the spacer ring (12) may be formed as a C-shaped element (16). In an alternative embodiment, the spacer ring may be formed as an intact ring (42) having a side bore (44) for receipt of the locking element. One or both parts of the implant (10) may be partially or wholly surface demineralized to provide a flexible surface on implant. A method of using the spacer ring (12) and locking element (14) to secure the assembled implant between adjacent vertebrae is also disclosed.

Abstract: Instrumentation for manufacturing a bone dowel from human or animal cadaveric bone and instrumentation for evaluating the suitability of the bone and/or dowel for implant use after each step of the manufacturing process is provided. Such instrumentation for manufacturing a bone dowel includes a blanking or coring apparatus, a milling apparatus a threading apparatus and a tapping apparatus. A gauge is provided to inspect and determine the suitability of the bone dowel at each step of the manufacturing process. By inspecting the dowel being manufactured after each step of the manufacturing process, time and effort which is needlessly wasted during completion of the manufacturing of dowels which are unsuitable for implant use (due to unsuitable bone and/or inaccurate machining of bone) can be avoided. Instrumentation for more accurately positioning bone and the partially manufactured dowel into the instrumentation for machining the dowel is also provided.

Abstract: A ramp-shaped intervertebral implant is disclosed. The implant has a body having a first end, a second end, a top surface and a bottom surface. At least one of the top and bottom surfaces is tapered and converges towards the second end of the body. An opening extends through the body and has one end opening onto the top surface of the implant and the other end opening onto the bottom surface of the implant. The implant can be formed from the diaphysis or metaphysis of a long bone, wherein the intramedullary canal of the long bone defines the opening. Alternately, the implant can be made from any biocompatible material having the requisite strength requirement.

Abstract: A load-bearing osteoimplant, methods of making the osteoimplant and method for repairing hard tissue such as bone and teeth employing the osteoimplant are provided. The osteoimplant comprises a shaped, coherent mass of bone particles which may exhibit osteogenic properties. In addition, the osteoimplant may possess one or more optional components which modify its mechanical and/or bioactive properties, e.g., binders, fillers, reinforcing components, etc.

Abstract: A multipart intervertebral implant is provided which includes an implant portion and an implant extender portion. The implant portion and the implant extender portion can be fastened together using any known fastening means including pins, interlocking structure (e.g., dovetail, tongue and groove, etc.), adhesives, etc. The size of the implant extender portion can be selected during a surgical procedure to provide an implant suitable for a particular intervertebral receiving bed. An intervertebral implant is also provided which may be formed from a multiplicity of implant sections which are fastened together to provide an implant having a desired length. Implants having surface configurations which more closely correspond to the configuration of vertebral endplates are also provided.

Abstract: An osteoimplant is provided which comprises a coherent aggregate of elongate bone particles, the osteoimplant possessing predetermined dimensions and shape. The osteoimplant is highly absorbent and sponge-like in nature. Also provided herein are a method of fabricating the osteoimplant and a method of repairing and/or treating bone defects utilizing the osteoimplant.

Abstract: A calcium phosphate bone graft material comprising an amorphous calcium phosphate glassy phase of from about 30 to about 100 volume % is obtained by plasma spraying calcium phosphate-containing powder onto a target to produce a deposited layer and removing the deposited layer from the target to provide the calcium phosphate bone graft material.

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: Instrumentation for manufacturing a bone dowel from human or animal cadaveric bone and instrumentation for evaluating the suitability of the bone and/or dowel for implant use after each step of the manufacturing process is provided. Such instrumentation for manufacturing a bone dowel includes a blanking or coring apparatus, a milling apparatus, a threading apparatus and a tapping apparatus. A gauge is provided to inspect and determine the suitability of the bone dowel at each step of the manufacturing process. By inspecting the dowel being manufactured after each step of the manufacturing process, time and effort which is needlessly wasted during completion of the manufacturing of dowels which are unsuitable for implant use (due to unsuitable bone and/or inaccurate machining of bone) can be avoided. Instrumentation for more accurately positioning bone and the partially manufactured dowel into the instrumentation for machining the dowel is also provided.

Abstract: There is provided a combined two-part intervertebral implant configured to restore the spacing between adjacent vertebrae. The implant generally includes a spacer ring having upper and lower vertebral engaging surfaces and a bore for receipt of a locking element. The implant further includes a locking element which is engagable within the spacer ring and has a diameter or height greater than the thickness of the spacer ring. In one embodiment, the spacer ring may be formed as a C-shaped element. In an alternative embodiment, the spacer ring may be formed as an intact ring having a side bore for receipt of the locking element. One or both parts of the implant may be partially or wholly surface demineralized to provide a flexible surface on implant. A method of using the spacer ring and locking element to secure the assembled implant between adjacent vertebrae is also disclosed.

Abstract: A load-bearing osteoimplant, method of making the osteoimplant and method for repairing bone using the osteoimplant are provided. The osteoimplant comprises a shaped, compressed composition of bone particles. The osteoimplant possesses a bulk density of greater than about 0.7 g/cm3 and a wet compressive strength of at least about 3 MPa.

Abstract: Methods of repairing a joint formed by at least two bone sections are provided wherein a biocompatible osteogenic band fabricated from an osteogenic biological material such as bone, tendon, ligament and collagen is affixed to two or more bone sections.

Abstract: A C-shaped or ring shaped implant formed of cortical bone has its C-shaped or inner channel filled with a bone promoting material which is preferably demineralized bone fibers formed as a flexible wet sheet or may be cancellous bone, pressed bone fibers formed from demineralized cortical bone chips soaked in acid, or a flex material formed of demineralized bone growth promoting bone fibers. The discrete bone filler element may be secured by a bonding agent, pins or screws, metal, polymer or bone material. The bone filler material is preferably bonded by filling a section of a long bone medullary cavity with wet bone fibers and then drying the fibers to bond them to the outer bone. A filled bone ring may be sliced to form annular filled sections which are then divided into mirror image C-shaped halves each forming an implant. Flex material of compressed bone fibers may be formed with an opening shaped to receive a cortical bone implant element having a C-shaped channel.

Abstract: There is provided a pulsatile flow pressure system for treating tissue, such as, for example, bone tissue. This system generally includes one, and preferably two, pressure chambers configured to receive the natural ends of intact bone. Alternate positive and negative pressures are enacted on the bone ends to force fluid into the bone and substantially out through an exterior surface thereof. Alternatively, both ends of an intact bone can be positioned in separate pressure chambers and simultaneous positive or negative pressures applied to the bone ends to force fluid through the bone tissue.

Abstract: An interference screw suitable for surgical use is provided. The interference screw is constructed from bone and includes an elongated body having an outer threaded surface, a tapered insertion end and a central throughbore. Insertion tool engaging structure is formed along the walls defining the throughbore. The insertion tool engaging structure extends from the proximal end of the elongated body over a substantial portion of the length of the elongated body. The insertion tool engaging structure functions to distribute the forces required to insert the interference screw throughout the body of the interference screw to prevent fracturing of the interference screw during insertion into bone.

Abstract: A ramp-shaped intervertebral implant is disclosed. The implant has a body having a first end, a second end, a top surface and a bottom surface. At least one of the top and bottom surfaces is tapered and converges towards the second end of the body. An opening extends through the body and has one end opening onto the top surface of the implant and the other end opening onto the bottom surface of the implant. The implant can be formed from the diaphysis or metaphysis of a long bone, wherein the intramedullary canal of the long bone defines the opening. Alternately, the implant can be made from any biocompatible material having the requisite strength requirement.

Abstract: A load-bearing osteoimplant, method of making the osteoimplant and method for repairing bone using the osteoimplant are provided. The osteoimplant comprises a shaped, compressed composition of bone particles. The osteoimplant possesses a bulk density of greater than about 0.7 g/cm3 and a wet compressive strength of at least about 3 MPa.