Osteoconductive synthetic bone grafts are provided in which porous metallic matrices are loaded with an osteoinductive protein. In certain embodiments, the grafts include porous ceramic granules deposited within the matrices.

Inventive manufacture of CrB.sub.2—Al.sub.2O.sub.3 composites is based on pressureless sintering. According to typical inventive practice, CrB.sub.2 powder and Al.sub.2O.sub.3 powder are mixed together in selected volumetric proportions so that the volume of the CrB.sub.2 does not exceed 50% of the overall volume of the CrB.sub.2—Al.sub.2O.sub.3 mixture. The CrB.sub.2—Al.sub.2O.sub.3 mixture is shaped into a green body. The green body is pressureless sintered in a non-oxidizing atmosphere at a firing temperature in the approximate range between 1600° C. and 2050° C. The present invention succeeds in preparing, via pressureless sintering, a proportionality-associated range of compositions in the CrB.sub.2—Al.sub.2O.sub.3 system, which is a potentially “advanced” ceramic system. A typical inventively fabricated CrB.sub.2—Al.sub.2O.sub.3 composite is inventively configured in a complex shape, and has “advanced” material (e.g., mechanical) properties that are favorable for a contemplated application. Inventive manufacture of ceramic-ceramic composites is thus dually attributed, and uncommonly so, with complex shape-ability and advanced capability.

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 resorbable bone graft scaffold material, including a plurality of overlapping and interlocking fibers defining a scaffold structure, plurality of pores distributed throughout the scaffold, and a plurality of glass microspheres distributed throughout the pores. The fibers are characterized by fiber diameters ranging from about 5 nanometers to about 100 micrometers, and the fibers are a bioactive, resorbable material. The fibers generally contribute about 20 to about 40 weight percent of the scaffold material, with the microspheres contributing the balance.

A ceramic composite material and a method for producing same. The ceramic composite material has a ceramic matrix comprising zirconium oxide and at least one secondary phase dispersed therein. The matrix is composed of zirconium oxide as at least 51 vol.-% of composite material, and the secondary phase is in a proportion of 1 to 49 vol.-% of composite material, wherein 90 to 99% of the zirconium oxide is present in the tetragonal phase based on the total zirconium oxide portion. The tetragonal phase of the zirconium oxide is stabilized by at least one member selected from the group consisting of chemical stabilization and mechanical stabilization. The ceramic composite is damage-tolerant.

A method of fabricating a material having a high concentration of a carbide constituent. The method may comprise adding a carbide source to a biocompatible material in which a weight of the carbide source is at least approximately 10% of the total weight, heating the carbide source and the biocompatible material to a predetermined temperature to melt the biocompatible material and allow the carbide source to go into solution to form a molten homogeneous solution, and impinging the molten homogeneous solution with a high pressure fluid to form spray atomized powder having carbide particles. The size of a particle of carbide in the atomized powder may be approximately 900 nanometers or less. The biocompatible material may be cobalt chrome, the carbide source may be graphite, and the fluid may be a gas or a liquid.

Biomaterials, implants made therefrom, methods of making the biomaterial and implants, methods of promoting bone or wound healing in a mammal by administering the biomaterial or implant to the mammal, and kits that include such biomaterials, implants, or components thereof. The biomaterials may be designed to exhibit osteogenic, osteoinductive, osteoconductive, and/or osteostimulative properties.

Body made of a ceramic material, the body having as an integral part thereof a surface region reaching from the surface of the body down to a predetermined depth. According to the invention, the surface region is enriched with a magnesium component thereby forming a hydrophilic surface area.

A method for preparing a skin regeneration scaffold is disclosed. The method may include preparing a polymer solution by dissolving a biopolymer in a solvent, and subjecting the polymer solution to a template-assisted extrusion process with a nanoporous material as a template in order to produce polymer nanofibers. Furthermore, the method includes fabricating a multilayer composite nanofibrous scaffold using the polymer nanofibers. The composite nanofibrous scaffold may be seeded with cells. In some cases, the cells may be selected from autologous cells, allogeneic cells, or combinations thereof.

The invention relates to a coating for an implant component, a method for producing an implant component having said coating, and a use of said coating on an implant component. The coating is intended for an implant component, in particular a spinal implant component, and is a TiNb coating which has, in addition to an atom % proportion of Ti and an atom % proportion of Nb, an atom % proportion of 5-30 atom % of Ag.