A filler implant includes a support of hybrid heterogeneous hydrogel which is formed by a copolymer including: a dendrimer monomer which is functionalised by an ethylene radical, an acryl amide compound which is selected from an N-substituted methacrylamide and N-substituted acrylamide, a cross-linking agent and a bioactive copolymerisable material. The support is formed by microbeads which have a diameter between 1.5 micrometres and 10 micrometres and it predominantly contains by weight the acrylamide compound. The microbeads are assembled to form aggregates which contain between 5 and 50 microbeads. The aggregates are connected by cross-linking points in order to define a penetrating porous network which defines three-dimensional percolating paths. The penetrating porous network is formed by pores, the majority of the volume of which has a diameter between 10 and 30 micrometres. The support has a viscoelastic nature with a modulus of elasticity between 1 and 200 kPa.

Particulate alloplastic bone replacement material and methods have a multitude of particles, wherein the particles have a core and at least six pins extending from the core, wherein the pins each have at least one connecting element, and wherein the pins are deformable elastically such that, upon multiple particles being pressed together, the connecting elements of different particles interlock with and/or snap into each other and the particles that are interlocked with and/or snapped into each other form an open-pored body of particles that are interlocked with and/or snapped into each other.

Particulate alloplastic bone replacement material and methods have a multitude of particles, wherein the particles have a core and at least six pins extending from the core, wherein the pins each have at least one connecting element, and wherein the pins are deformable elastically such that, upon multiple particles being pressed together, the connecting elements of different particles interlock with and/or snap into each other and the particles that are interlocked with and/or snapped into each other form an open-pored body of particles that are interlocked with and/or snapped into each other.

The method of making an implant consists on coating of a supporting structure (1) with synthetic hydroxyapatite by immersing the supporting structure (1) in a suspension (3) and triggering of a cavitation in a portion of the suspension (3) being in contact with the supporting structure (1). The suspension (3) is formed by a liquid external phase, advantageously water, and internal phase, i.e. particles of synthetic hydroxyapatite having an average particle size not exceeding 100 nm and containing structural water in an amount from 2 to 6% by weight. The implant is coated with the above described hydroxyapatite subjected to cavitation and a thickness of 50 nm to 1000 nm, advantageously 50 nm to 300 nm.

The method of making an implant consists on coating of a supporting structure (1) with synthetic hydroxyapatite by immersing the supporting structure (1) in a suspension (3) and triggering of a cavitation in a portion of the suspension (3) being in contact with the supporting structure (1). The suspension (3) is formed by a liquid external phase, advantageously water, and internal phase, i.e. particles of synthetic hydroxyapatite having an average particle size not exceeding 100 nm and containing structural water in an amount from 2 to 6% by weight. The implant is coated with the above described hydroxyapatite subjected to cavitation and a thickness of 50 nm to 1000 nm, advantageously 50 nm to 300 nm.

Heart valve implants and methods for implanting and delivering same are described. A heart valve implant can include a shaft, having a first end and a second end, an anchor, and a plurality of wafers. The anchor is coupled to the first end of the shaft and configured to secure the heart implant to a patient's heart. The wafers are coupled to the second end of the shaft and configured to form a stacked array of wafers. The stacked array of wafers can partially reduce a flow of blood through a heart valve upon coming in contact with a portion of a leaflet of the heart valve.

Heart valve implants and methods for implanting and delivering same are described. A heart valve implant can include a shaft, having a first end and a second end, an anchor, and a plurality of wafers. The anchor is coupled to the first end of the shaft and configured to secure the heart implant to a patient's heart. The wafers are coupled to the second end of the shaft and configured to form a stacked array of wafers. The stacked array of wafers can partially reduce a flow of blood through a heart valve upon coming in contact with a portion of a leaflet of the heart valve.

A method for cartilage tissue engineering including fabricating a nanocomposite, injecting the nanocomposite into a defect site of cartilage, and forming a hydrogel in the defect site of the cartilage using a sol-gel transition responsive to increasing temperature of the nanocomposite from room temperature to 37° C. Fabricating a nanocomposite includes forming an activated copolymer by functionalizing a copolymer, forming a conjugated copolymer by grafting the activated copolymer to a polysaccharide, forming a protein-conjugated copolymer by crosslinking a protein with the conjugated copolymer, forming the nanocomposite by adding a plurality of nanoparticles to the protein-conjugated copolymer.

A method for cartilage tissue engineering including fabricating a nanocomposite, injecting the nanocomposite into a defect site of cartilage, and forming a hydrogel in the defect site of the cartilage using a sol-gel transition responsive to increasing temperature of the nanocomposite from room temperature to 37° C. Fabricating a nanocomposite includes forming an activated copolymer by functionalizing a copolymer, forming a conjugated copolymer by grafting the activated copolymer to a polysaccharide, forming a protein-conjugated copolymer by crosslinking a protein with the conjugated copolymer, forming the nanocomposite by adding a plurality of nanoparticles to the protein-conjugated copolymer.

An implant can include a plurality of polymeric fibers associated together into a fibrous body. The fibrous body is capable of being shaped to fit a tracheal defect and capable of being secured in place by suture or by bioadhesive. The fibrous body can have aligned fibers (e.g., circumferentially aligned) or unaligned fibers. The fibrous body can be electrospun. The fibrous body can have a first characteristic in a first gradient distribution across at least a portion of the fibrous body. The fibrous body can include one or more structural reinforcing members, such as ribbon structural reinforcing members, which can be embedded in the plurality of fibers. The fibrous body can include one or more structural reinforcing members bonded to the fibers with liquid polymer as an adhesive, the liquid polymer having a substantially similar composition of the fibers.