Disclosed is a ceramic sliding partner for a sliding bearing, said sliding partner being made at least in part, preferably entirely, of a ceramic foam. The ceramic sliding partner comprises at least one sliding surface on which a sliding partner can move, said sliding surface being made at least in part, preferably entirely, of a ceramic foam.

The process for producing an orthopedic implant having an integrated silicon nitride surface layer includes steps for positioning the orthopedic implant inside a vacuum chamber, mixing nitrogen gas and vaporized silicon atoms in the vacuum chamber, emitting a relatively high energy beam into the mixture of nitrogen gas and vaporized silicon atoms in the vacuum chamber to cause a gas-phase reaction between the nitrogen gas and the vaporized silicon atoms to form reacted precipitate silicon nitride molecules, and driving the precipitate silicon nitride molecules with the same beam into an outer surface of the orthopedic implant at a relatively high energy such that the precipitate silicon nitride molecules implant therein and form at least a part of the molecular structure of the outer surface of the orthopedic implant, thereby forming the integrated silicon nitride surface layer.

An expandable implant device for implantation at a surgical site is provided. The implant device is made of cortical bone and includes a top and bottom piece, both pieces configured to couple with each other. The top piece has superior and inferior surfaces, and at least a tapered leading end configured to distract open an intervertebral disc space so that the top piece can be slidably inserted over the bottom piece until a desired overlap is achieved. A composite interbody bone implant device is also provided including a body skeleton having a non-bone composition, such as a polymer, formed into a shape and including one or more cavities which can be filled with other material, for example, allograft material. A method of placing an expandable device into a disc space is also provided.

Methods for improving the wear performance of silicon nitride and/or other ceramic materials, particularly to make them more suitable for use in manufacturing biomedical implants.

An expandable device for expanding and supporting body tissue comprises an inferior endplate having an outer surface configured to contact one body tissue surface and a superior endplate having an outer surface configured to contact an opposing body tissue surface. The inferior endplate and the superior endplate are movable relative to each other in a direction of expansion. The device includes an elevator captively supported between the inferior endplate and the superior endplate for independent movement along the direction of expansion. In the first direction the elevator is moved toward said superior endplate to lift the superior endplate and expand the device. In the second direction the elevator moves away from said superior endplate toward said inferior endplate to create a space for insertion of an insert into the expanded device.

Disclosed are devices for the fixation and support of vertebrae, particularly spinal implant devices supporting and/or securing removed vertebral bodies of the spine.

A spinal implant is provided including an upper surface, a lower surface, a front surface and a back surface, two side surfaces extending between the upper surface and the lower surface, the two side surfaces extending between the front surface and the back surface and an opening positioned closer to the back surface than the front surface. The opening is provided to contain graft material that spans between a cortical rim of the upper vertebral body and the cortical rim of the lower vertebral body. The method includes packing the opening with graft material, wherein the graft material spans between the decorticated cortical rim of the upper vertebral body and the decorticated cortical rim of the lower vertebral body.

A problem with total disc implant surgery appears to be the positioning of the implant which if not correct may lead to pain and eventually new surgery. The present invention relates to an improved disc implant for total disc replacement, that includes two inter-vertebral elements which are flexibly connected via a coupling mechanism. Following surgery, the relative movability of the two inter-vertebral elements is decreased overtime, as bone ingrowth occurring around the implant and specifically through osseointegrative sections gradually decrease the movability of the elements relative to each other. Following, the relative movability of the implant elements is replaced by fixation of the elements. The fixation has flowingly occurred in a position affected by the movement of the patient, and is thereby more acceptable to the patient.

An artificial femoral ball head having a multilayer shell-core composite structure includes a spherical shell layer, a transition layer and an inner core. The inner core is made of a toughened ceramic, the spherical shell layer is made of a ceramic material, and the transition layer is made of a composite material comprising materials of the inner core and the spherical shell layer. The artificial femoral ball head is manufactured through sintering a green body of successively stacked layers of the spherical shell layer, the transition layer and the inner core, and the green body of successively stacked layers is obtained through a powder co-injection molding process. The spherical shell layer of the artificial femoral head has a high rigidness, corrosion-proof and wear-proof performance. The inner core of the artificial femoral head has a high toughness and shockresistant performance.

An expandable device for expanding and supporting body tissue comprises an inferior endplate having an outer surface configured to contact one body tissue surface and a superior endplate having an outer surface configured to contact an opposing body tissue surface. The inferior endplate and the superior endplate are movable relative to each other in a direction of expansion. The device includes an elevator captively supported between the inferior endplate and the superior endplate for independent movement along the direction of expansion. In the first direction the elevator is moved toward said superior endplate to lift the superior endplate and expand the device. In the second direction the elevator moves away from said superior endplate toward said inferior endplate to create a space for insertion of an insert into the expanded device.