Disclosed are implants, devices and related manufacturing methods for implants comprising material mixtures including silicon nitride and/or other material additives in some of all of the implant body, including portions, layers and/or surface coatings thereof, for use as orthopedic implants such as joint and/or bone replacement implants used in in spinal surgeries, dental surgeries and/or other orthopedic procedures.

A bone implant for enclosing bone material is provided. The bone implant comprises a covering, which can be a biodegradable mesh. The covering is configured to be rolled into a diameter to at least partially enclose the bone material within the covering. In some embodiments, the covering includes a body portion and a closure portion adjacent to the body portion. The closure portion is configured to hold the covering in a rolled configuration to a predetermined diameter to at least partially enclose the bone material. A kit and a method of using the bone implant are also provided.

Provided herein is technology relating to lipid compositions containing bioactive fatty acids and particularly, but not exclusively, to compositions and methods related to the production and use of structured lipid compositions containing sciadonic and/or pinoleic acid alone or in combination with other bioactive fatty acids including, but not limited to, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, conjugated linoleic acid, and non-β-oxidizable fatty acid analogues such as tetradecylthioacetic acid.

Certain small molecule amino acid phosphate compounds such as phosphoserine and certain multivalent metal compounds such as calcium phosphate containing cements have been found to have improved properties and form an interpenetrating network in the presence of a polymer that contains either an electronegative carbonyl oxygen atom of the ester group or an electronegative nitrogen atom of the amine group as the bonding sites of the polymer surfaces to the available multivalent metal ions.

Bioactive porous bone graft implants in various forms suitable for bone tissue regeneration and/or repair, as well as methods of use, are provided. The implants are formed of bioactive glass and have an engineered porosity. The implants may take the form of a putty, foam, fibrous cluster, fibrous matrix, granular matrix, or combinations thereof and allow for enhanced clinical results as well as ease of handling.

A biocompatible composite material for controlled release is disclosed, comprising a biocompatible metal oxide structure with a loaded network of pores. The pore network of the biocompatible composite material is filled with a uniformly distributed biologically active micellizing amphiphilic molecule, the size of these pores ranging from about 0.5 to about 100 nanometers. The material is characterized in that when exposed to phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), the controlled release of the active amphiphilic molecule is predominantly diffusion-driven over time.

A method for controlling generation of biologically desirable voids in a composition placed in proximity to bone or other tissue in a patient by selecting at least one water-soluble inorganic material having a desired particle size and solubility, and mixing the water-soluble inorganic material with at least one poorly-water-soluble or biodegradable matrix material. The matrix material, after it is mixed with the water-soluble inorganic material, is placed into the patient in proximity to tissue so that the water-soluble inorganic material dissolves at a predetermined rate to generate biologically desirable voids in the matrix material into which bone or other tissue can then grow.

The present invention relates to compositions and methods useful for treating structures of the vertebral column, including vertebral bodies. In one embodiment, a method for promoting bone formation in a vertebral body comprising providing a composition comprising a PDGF solution and a biocompatible matrix and applying the composition to at least one vertebral body. Promoting bone formation in a vertebral body, according to some embodiments, can increase bone volume, mass, and/or density leading to an increase in mechanical strength of the vertebral body treated with a composition of the present invention.

Scaffolds for use in bone tissue engineering include a skeleton and a host component. Methods of preparation of scaffolds include identification of biodegradation properties for the skeleton and the host component. The skeleton is constructed to form a three-dimensional shape. The skeleton is constructed of a first material and has a first rate of biodegradation. The host component fills the three-dimensional shape formed by the skeleton. The host component is constructed of a second material and has a second rate of biodegradation. The first rate of biodegradation is slower than the second rate of biodegradation.

A composite material in one of embodiments includes a crystal phase of titanium fluoride and a metal crystal phase of titanium. The crystal phase of the titanium fluoride is present in a first region located away from a surface in a depth direction.