Bioresorbable inflatable devices and tunnel incision tool and methods for treating and enlarging a tissue or an organ or a tube or a vessel or a cavity. The device is composed of a hollow expanding pouch made of a resorbable material that can be attached to a filling element. The pouch can be filled with a biocompatible materials, one or more times in few days interval, after the insertion of the device. While filling the pouch every few days the tissue expands and the filling material if it is bioactive start to function. The tunnel incision tool composed of a little blade that emerges from the surface of the tool in order to make shallow incisions in the surrounding tissue therefore enabling easy expansion of the tissue. This device and method can be used for example for: horizontal and vertical bone augmentation in the jaws and the tunnel incision tool is used to make shallow incisions in the periosteum when using the tunnel technique, sinus augmentation when the device is placed beneath the Schneiderian tissue, vessels widening if the pouch become a stent etc.

Methods for altering the natural history of degenerative disc disease and osteoarthritis of the spine are proposed. The methods focus on the prevention, or delayed onset or progression of, subchondral defects such as bone marrow edema or bone marrow lesion, and subchondral treatment to prevent the progression of osteoarthritis or degenerative disc disease in the spine and thereby treat pain.

Various embodiments of implant systems and related apparatus, and methods of operating the same are described herein. In various embodiments, an implant for interfacing with a bone structure includes a web structure, including a space truss, configured to interface with human bone tissue. The space truss includes two or more planar truss units having a plurality of struts joined at nodes. Implants are optimized for the expected stress applied at the bone structure site.

A ceramic implant which has a ceramic, endosseous surface region that is intended to be embedded into the bone tissue and that is made of a ceramic material. The surface region has at least one first zone having a surface modification, in which first zone the surface is roughened or porous, and at least one second zone, in which the surface is not roughened or porous.

Disclosed herein are methods of treating an article surface. The method comprises removing a metal oxide surface from the metal substrate to expose a metal surface; and delivering particles comprising a dopant from at least one fluid jet to the metal surface to impregnate the surface of the article with the dopant. The method also comprises delivering substantially simultaneously a first set of particles comprising a dopant and a second set of particles comprising an abrasive from at least one fluid jet to a surface of an article to impregnate the surface of the article with the dopant.

A sinterable and/or fusible ceramic mass is disclosed, having a long-term stable compound of crystalline phases of apatite, wollastonite, titanite and optionally cristobalite, which is stabilized by a glass phase, and a production process therefor. The ceramic mass can be obtained by sintering a mixture comprising at least the constituents SiO.sub.2, CaO, P.sub.2O.sub.5, MgO, CaF.sub.2 and TiO.sub.2, on their own or in combination with at least one alkali oxide, the alkali oxide being chosen from NaO.sub.2 and K.sub.2O. The invention further relates to uses of the sintered material in the form of shaped articles for strengthening, cleaning, roughening or polishing surfaces of medical implants or as a final prosthesis.

A method of producing an interbody spinal implant. The method includes the steps of obtaining a blank having a top surface, bottom surface, opposing lateral sides, and opposing anterior and posterior portions, and applying a subtractive process (e.g., masked acid etching) to the top surface, the bottom surface, or both surfaces of the blank to form a roughened surface topography. Subsequently, the blank is machined to form the interbody spinal implant, which includes a body having a top surface, a bottom surface, opposing lateral sides, opposing anterior and posterior portions, a substantially hollow center, and a single vertical aperture where the top surface, the bottom surface, or both surfaces of the interbody spinal implant have the roughened surface topography produced by the subtractive process. This simplified method produces more accurate and repeatable implants with fewer process steps and defects, reducing process time and costs.

Methods for altering the natural history of degenerative disc disease and osteoarthritis of the spine are proposed. The methods focus on the prevention, or delayed onset or progression of, subchondral defects such as bone marrow edema or bone marrow lesion, and subchondral treatment to prevent the progression of osteoarthritis or degenerative disc disease in the spine and thereby treat pain.

The invention relates to a method for modification of a biocompatible component. The method of the invention includes the steps of a) providing a biocompatible component at least partly covered by metallic oxide; and b) treating at least a part of the component, which part is covered by the metallic oxide, with an aqueous composition that includes oxalic acid; whereby a modified metallic oxide, is obtained. The invention also relates to a biocompatible component-including a substrate having a surface with a) a microstructure including pits separated by plateus and/or ridges; and b) a primary nanostructure being superimposed on the microstructure, the primary nanostructure having depressions arranged in a wave-like formation.

A spinal implant having a top surface, a bottom surface, opposing lateral sides, and opposing anterior and posterior portions. At least one of the top surface and bottom surface has a roughened surface topography, without sharp teeth that risk damage to bone structures, adapted to grip bone through friction generated when the implant is placed between two vertebrae and to inhibit migration of the implant. At least one of the top surface and the bottom surface also includes at least one self-deploying anchor having an expulsion tab and a bone-engaging tip that causes the implant to resist expulsion once the expulsion tab is deployed.