Provided is a nanofiber composite membrane for guided bone regeneration, which includes: spinning a spinning solution by an electrospinning method to produce nanofibers; accumulating the nanofibers, to prepare a certain thickness of a nanofiber web; and drying and thermally calendering the nanofiber web to sterilize the nanofiber web, wherein the spinning solution contains a biocompatible plasticizer to maintain physical properties, flexibility and elasticity of the membrane, by suppressing an increase in brittleness in a sterilization treatment.

A mould adapted to be introduced into a joint of a human patient for resurfacing at least one carrying contacting surface of said joint is provided. The mould is adapted to receive material for resurfacing at least one carrying contacting surface of said joint. The mould is further adapted to be resorbed by the human body or melt after having served its purpose.

Implantable devices that comprise an improved bone graft material, such as for example, bioactive glass, are disclosed. Additionally, implantable devices that work in conjunction with an improved bone graft material and act as a composite implantable device, for the improved treatment of bone, are also disclosed. These devices are bioactive, and are engineered to provide enhanced cellular activity to promote bone fusion or regrowth.

A reinforced surgical membrane for supporting bone growth by shielding a bone cavity from soft tissue in-growth comprises are a reinforcing layer (2) between a first membrane layer and a second membrane layer (4). The reinforcing layer (2) has defined therein an array of holes (3) which may connect the first and second membrane layers.

Implantable devices for orthopedic, including spine and other uses are formed of porous reinforced polymer scaffolds. Scaffolds include a thermoplastic polymer forming a porous matrix that has continuously interconnected pores. The porosity and the size of the pores within the scaffold are selectively formed during synthesis of the composite material, and the composite material includes a plurality of reinforcement particles integrally formed within and embedded in the matrix and exposed on the pore surfaces. The reinforcement particles provide one or more of reinforcement, bioactivity, or bioresorption.

A composite material for use, for example, as an orthopedic implant, that includes a porous reinforced composite scaffold that includes a polymer, reinforcement particles distributed throughout the polymer, and a substantially continuously interconnected plurality of pores that are distributed throughout the polymer, each of the pores in the plurality of pores defined by voids interconnected by struts, each pore void having a size within a range from about 10 to 500 nm. The porous reinforced composite scaffold has a scaffold volume that includes a material volume defined by the polymer and the reinforcement particles, and a pore volume defined by the plurality of pores. The reinforcement particles are both embedded within the polymer and exposed on the struts within the pore voids. The polymer may be a polyaryletherketone polymer and the reinforcement particles may be anisometric calcium phosphate particles.

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.

A bone-repair composite includes a core and a sheath. The core is a first primary unit including a combination of a first set of yarns coated with a calcium phosphate mineral layer. The first set of yarns being made from a first group of one or more polymers. The sheath is a second primary unit a combination of a second set of yarns or one or more polymer coatings. The second set of yarns being made from a second group of one or more polymers, wherein the composite is made by covering the core with the sheath, and the composite is compression molded to allow the sheath to bond to the core. The bone-repair composite has a bending modulus comparable to that of a mammalian bone, such that the ratio of the core to the sheath is provided to maximize the mechanical strength of the bone-repair composite to mimic the mammalian bone.

A method for fusing spinal bone is provided. The method comprises placing a sac between two or more adjacent sections of the spine to be fused, inserting a cage into the sac, and filling the sac with bone tissue. The surfaces of the sac abutting the sections of the spine comprise porous material for allowing bone to grow between the spine and the sac. Surfaces of the sac not abutting the sections of the spine are nonporous to bodily fluids and thereby prevent premature deterioration of the bone tissue inside the sac. The cage maintains the sac in an expanded state upon filling. A kit comprising the sac and cage is also provided. In other embodiments of the invention, the method comprises placing an inner sac inside the inventive sac and filling the sacs with bone tissue for fusion of spinal bone.

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.