A device is provided for use with a medical implant for delivering an agent to a designated site of action in a body of a patient. The agent-delivery device comprises a body member having an inner surface and a projection on the inner surface of the body member. An agent-delivery medium is associated with the body member. The agent-delivery medium includes a therapeutic agent for treating the body of the patient. The body member is adapted to be secured to the medical implant such that the projection operatively engages the medical implant for spacing the inner surface of the body member from the implant, and the agent-delivery medium is configured to release the therapeutic agent after implantation in the body of the patient. In alternative embodiments, the agent-delivery device comprises a first body member having an inner surface and a second body member having an inner surface. When connected, the inner surfaces of the first body member and the second body member define a cavity adapted to receive the medical implant. The body member may also define an opening therethrough, the opening configured to receive an anchor member for fixing the body member in a body of a patient.

An orthopedic implant system includes an orthopedic implant implantable at a selected location within a corporeal body and configured for delivering at least one therapeutic agent to the corporeal body, the implant defining a reservoir and a plurality of channels, the reservoir configured for receiving the at least one therapeutic agent, the plurality of channels configured for conveying the at least one therapeutic agent from the reservoir to a treatment site relative to the corporeal body, the implant being at least one of an internal fixation device and a porous device.

The present invention provides a method for stabilizing a fractured bone. The method includes positioning an elongate rod in the medullary canal of the fractured bone and forming a passageway through the cortex of the bone. The passageway extends from the exterior surface of the bone to the medullary canal of the bone. The method also includes creating a bonding region on the elongate rod. The bonding region is generally aligned with the passageway of the cortex. Furthermore, the method includes positioning a fastener in the passageway of the cortex and on the bonding region of the elongate rod and thermally bonding the fastener to the bonding region of the elongate rod while the fastener is positioned in the passageway of the cortex.

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.

An orthopedic system for delivery of a therapeutic agent to a bone includes an elongate stem adapted to be inserted into an intramedullary canal, an inlet configured to receive the therapeutic agent, and one or more outlets configured to deliver the therapeutic agent to the bone. The elongate stem may comprise one or more protrusions to engage the bone, and one or more channels extending longitudinally therein, fluidly coupled to the inlet. The therapeutic agent flows from the inlet through the one or more channels and exits into the intramedullary canal through the one or more outlets. The system may be configured to allow one or more dimensions of the system to be adjusted to accommodate the anatomy of a patient.

Devices and methods for in situ drawing, filtering and seeding cells from the marrow of surrounding bone into a fusion cage without any of the challenges mentioned above. Various implants and devices with aspiration ports that enable in-situ harvesting and mixing of stem cells. These devices may include spinal fusion cages, long bone spacers, lateral grafts and joint replacement devices. Each device utilizes at least one aspiration port for harvesting of stem cell-containing marrow via aspiration from adjacent bony elements.

An orthopedic implant system includes an external fixation device implantable at a selected location within a corporeal body and configured for delivering at least one therapeutic agent to the corporeal body. The external fixation device includes an implantable pin, a sheath coupled with the pin, a reservoir coupled with the sheath and a plurality of channels. The pin defines the plurality of channels. The reservoir is configured for receiving the at least one therapeutic agent. The plurality of channels are configured for conveying the at least one therapeutic agent from the reservoir to a treatment site relative to the corporeal body.

The present invention provides a method for stabilizing a fractured bone. The method includes positioning an elongate rod in the medullary canal of the fractured bone and forming a passageway through the cortex of the bone. The passageway extends from the exterior surface of the bone to the medullary canal of the bone. The method also includes creating a bonding region on the elongate rod. The bonding region is generally aligned with the passageway of the cortex. Furthermore, the method includes positioning a fastener in the passageway of the cortex and on the bonding region of the elongate rod and thermally bonding the fastener to the bonding region of the elongate rod while the fastener is positioned in the passageway of the cortex.

Disclosed is a drug delivery implant implanted into a bone. The drug delivery implant includes an implant fixture provided with an inlet formed at the upper end thereof and a drug supply cartridge coupled to the fixture, the drug supply cartridge includes a cap to close the inlet of the fixture and a cartridge main body provided under the cap, coupled with the cap and accommodated in the fixture to release a drug, and a cartridge hole to accommodate the cartridge main body and drug channels to guide the drug released from the inside of the cartridge main body to the outside of the fixture are formed in the fixture. The drug delivery implant may continuously administer the drug into bone tissues and mount the drug cartridge together with the cap in the fixture, thus facilitating mount of the drug cartridge in the fixture and replacement of the drug cartridge.

An antibiotic delivery system including an intramedullary stem that is adapted to be removably mounted into a medullary canal of a bone. The stem includes a body having an inlet adapted to be in fluid communication with a source of liquid-borne antibiotic and a plurality of outlets disposed along the stem. A channel extends between the inlet and the plurality of outlets for delivering a fluid-borne antibiotic from the inlet to the plurality of outlets so as to distribute the antibiotic along the medullary canal in a controlled fashion. A method of treating an infected joint during a two-stage re-implantation of an orthopedic implant is also disclosed.