The invention features bone screws having a threaded screw body and a screw head attached to one end of the screw body, the bone screw further including: a) an interior channel extending longitudinally through the screw head and through at least a portion of the screw body, wherein the interior channel has a width of less than 5.0 millimeters; and b) a plurality of radially-disposed delivery channels connecting the interior channel to the exterior of the screw body, each delivery channel having exterior openings. The invention further features devices that include a bone screw and a delivery manifold detachably attached to the screw head of the bone screw. In addition, the invention features methods of treating a patient having a bone defect by using a bone screw described herein.

A minimally invasive surgical procedure for replacing a hip joint is provided. A main incision is initiated at a point being a projection of a tip of a greater trochanter and extends proximally about a distance in the range of from 1 cm to 8 cm in line with the femoral axis. An inline capsulotomy is performed, while keeping muscles and posterior capsule intact, to expose the hip joint capsule for accessing the hip joint. The femoral canal is prepared for receipt of a femoral implant. The femoral head is resected and removed out of the acetabulum. A step of acetabular preparation is performed using a retractor comprising two tip rails, each tip rail having a plurality of tines. Related tools, devices, systems and methods are also provided.

A drug-eluting spacer for temporary implantation in a knee joint includes a femoral component configured to interface with a femur, a tibial tray component having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a shaft extending from the lower surface, the shaft configured to be positioned axially within a tibia, the lower surface configured to interface with the tibia, and a tibial insert component having an upper surface and a lower surface, the lower surface of the tibial insert component configured to engage the upper surface of the tibial tray component, the upper surface of the tibial insert component configured to receive the femoral component in an articulating manner. The femoral component, the tibial tray component, and the tibial insert component carry joint loads when implanted. The drug-eluting spacer is configured to elute a biologically active agent in an amount effective to treat an infection of the knee joint.

Antimicrobial metal ion coatings and implants including them. In particular, described herein are coatings including an anodic metal (e.g., silver and/or zinc and/or copper) that is co-deposited with a cathodic metal (e.g., palladium, platinum, gold, molybdenum, titanium, iridium, osmium, rhodium, manganese, niobium or rhenium) on a substrate so that the anodic metal is galvanically released as antimicrobial ions when the apparatus is exposed to a bodily fluid. The anodic metal may be at least about 25 percent by volume of the coating, resulting in a network of anodic metal with less than 20% of the anodic metal in the coating fully encapsulated by cathodic metal. The implant may be configured as an implant such as a bone-screw or intramedullary rod-like body configured to receive a treatment cartridge having a coating as described.

The invention relates to an intramedullary nail for the application of a pharmaceutical fluid, comprising a fluid-conducting first conduit means, which runs axially in the intramedullary nail and which can be connected to a first reservoir for the pharmaceutical fluid, and at least one lead-through, which connects the first conduit means in a fluid-conducting manner to an outer surface of the intramedullary nail. The invention furthermore relates to a method for the treatment of bone fractures and for the application of a pharmaceutical fluid into the area of a bone canal by means of an intramedullary nail.

A minimally invasive surgical procedure for replacing a hip joint is provided. A main incision is initiated at a point being a projection of a tip of a greater trochanter and extends proximally about a distance in the range of from 1 cm to 8 cm in line with the femoral axis. An inline capsulotomy is performed, while keeping muscles and posterior capsule intact, to expose the hip joint capsule for accessing the hip joint. The femoral canal is prepared for receipt of a femoral implant. The femoral head is resected and removed out of the acetabulum. A step of acetabular preparation is performed using a retractor comprising two tip rails, each tip rail having a plurality of tines. Related tools, devices, systems and methods are also provided.

A method and system for promoting the union of a bone fracture and/or fusion of bones across a joint space at a target region of a subject which may be accomplished by: inserting a surgical implant device at the target region; providing a guide member in the surgical implant device bore; sealing the surgical implant device bore distal opening and/or the surgical implant device bore proximal opening with the guide member; and positioning the guide member relative to the surgical implant device to provide for the guide member to be partially absent from the surgical implant device bore to allow the biomaterial and/or biologically active agents to extrude or diffuse from the activated apertures to the target region of the subject.

The present invention is directed to a method of reducing the risk of infection following surgery utilizing the drug eluting surgical screw disclosed herein to secure an implant in an animal following surgery. The drug eluting screw includes a drug eluting component that can elute a therapeutic agent locally at the surface of the implant reducing the risk of infection.

The present invention provides a deformable body (2), wherein the deformable body comprises a force application surface (12) opposite a bone contact surface (52) to be pressed against periosteum of a bone surface (52) of a bone such that the bone contact surface adapts its shape to the shape of the bone surface, wherein the deformable body comprises one or more through-going openings (3) and/or one or more fixation locations (34) arranged to receive a fixation element such as as screw (20), and wherein the deformable body comprises an anaesthetic that is released from or through the bone contact surface. The anaesthetic can be bupivicaine, liposome bupivacaine, lidocaine or levobupivacaine. The anaesthetic can be arranged in one or more compartments (6, 7) which have different release rates. The screw can comprise a detent or rim to mate with the deformable body. A sleeve (80) can be arranged in the opening (3) to receive the screw. A pusher element (81) can push the deformable body from the sleeve into position on the screw shank (21).

A minimally invasive surgical procedure for replacing a hip joint is provided. A main incision is initiated at a point being a projection of a tip of a greater trochanter and extends proximally about a distance in the range of from 1 cm to 8 cm in line with the femoral axis. An inline capsulotomy is performed, while keeping muscles and posterior capsule intact, to expose the hip joint capsule for accessing the hip joint. The femoral canal is prepared for receipt of a femoral implant. The femoral head is resected and removed out of the acetabulum. A step of acetabular preparation is performed using a retractor comprising two tip rails, each tip rail having a plurality of tines. Related tools, devices, systems and methods are also provided.