The present invention relates to orthopaedic implants having a fenestrated hollow shell and a biologic core. These design features provide an improved interface between the implant and the surrounding tissue, aiding fixation, and provide a vehicle for applying new bone healing and enhancing modalities, such as gene therapy, tissue engineering, and growth factors.

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.

A mold for forming a joint spacer device or a part thereof includes a rigid container body having a first perimeter profile delimiting a first molding surface configured to shape a first portion of the joint spacer or part thereof; and a rigid cover provided with a second perimeter profile delimiting a second molding surface configured to shape a second portion of the joint spacer or part thereof. The rigid container body and the rigid cover are removably engageable to each other, at the first and the second perimeter profile, so as to delimit a cavity corresponding to the external configuration of the joint spacer or part thereof. The mold includes a weakening system on the rigid container body and on the rigid cover, making them separable into parts to enable the extraction of the spacer device or part thereof, molded therebetween.

A hinged articulating spacer system for revision knee arthroplasty includes a femur rod for a femur, and a tibia rod for a tibia. The tibia rod is hingedly couplable to the femur rod to form a hinged rod assembly. A pre-formed femoral spacer component includes bone cement impregnated with an antibiotic. The pre-formed femoral spacer defines an opening that receives the hinged rod assembly. A pre-formed tibial spacer component includes bone cement impregnated with an antibiotic. The pre-formed tibial spacer defines an opening that receives the hinged rod assembly.

Devices, systems, and methods for applying a bioactive coating to an exterior surface of an implant are disclosed. In some embodiments, the bioactive coating may be applied to the surfaces of the implant within the operating room at the time of implantation. In one embodiment, the implant may be a temporary spacer used to temporary replace an implant in a patient suffering from an infection. The temporary spacer being, for example, an antibacterial material for fighting the infection. In some embodiments, the method includes providing a mold of the implant, and providing the bioactive coating within the mold. The method may further include inserting the implant into the mold so that the exterior surface of the implant contacts the bioactive coating, and then removing the implant from the mold.

The invention relates to a device for producing a knee spacer component by curing bone cement paste. The invention also relates to methods for producing knee spacer components using such a device.

The invention relates to a device for producing a spacer having a casting mold with at least one filling opening, a valve seat, which is connected to the casting mold, wherein the valve seat has an regionally closed head side with at least one first feed-through, a valve body which is mounted so as to be rotatable relative to the valve seat and which has a sealing face, wherein at least one second feed-through is arranged in the sealing face, wherein the valve seat and the valve body together form a valve, wherein the valve is reversibly transferable into an open position and a closed position by rotation of the valve body relative to the valve seat, wherein, in the open position of the valve, the at least one first feed-through of the valve seat and the at least one second feed-through of the valve body are located above one another at least in places and provide a permeable connection through the valve into the casting mold, wherein, in the closed position of the valve, the at least one first feed-through of the valve seat is covered by the sealing face of the valve body, wherein, in the closed position of the valve, the at least one filling opening of the casting mold is covered and wherein the valve is connected on the side remote from the casting mold to a port for liquid-tight connection of a bone cement cartridge or the valve has such a port. The invention also relates to a method for producing spacers using such a device.

The invention relates to a device for producing a spacer having a casting mold, wherein the casting mold has a stem mold and a mold cavity with a spherical surface-shaped inner surface, wherein the stem mold and the mold cavity delimit a common interior, at least one filling opening and at least one vent element, wherein the stem mold is dimensionally stable on injection of bone cement paste into the casting mold, while, on injection of bone cement paste into the casting mold, the mold cavity is expandable at least in the region of the spherical surface-shaped inner surface by pressure imparted by the injected bone cement paste. The invention also relates to a method for producing spacers using such a device.

An additive-manufacturing system for printing spinal implants in-situ, within a patient, is disclosed. The system may include a robotic subsystem having scanning and imaging equipment and an armature including at least one dispensing nozzle and a controller apparatus having a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The controller may control the scanning and imaging equipment to determine a target alignment of a patients spine, develop an in-situ-printing plan including an in-situ material selection plan based on the target alignment of the patients spine, an interbody access space, and a disc space between adjacent vertebra of the patients spine, and execute the in-situ-printing plan. The controller may further control the armature to dispense at least one material chosen from a rigid material and a pliable material to form at least one motion-sparing implant.

An in-situ additive-manufacturing system for growing an implant in-situ for a patient. The system has a multi-nozzle dispensing subsystem and a distal control arm. The multi-nozzle dispensing subsystem in one embodiment includes first and second dispensing nozzles. The first and second nozzles include first and second printing-material delivery channels, respectively. In another embodiment, the in-situ additive-manufacturing system includes a multi-material subsystem having a dispensing nozzle including first and second printing material delivery channels. Controlling computing and robotics componentry are provided. In various aspects, respective storage for first and second printing materials, and one or more pumping structures, are provided.