A monitoring system includes: (1) an implant having at least one sensor and configured for at least partial insertion into a patient, a first one of sensors being in contact with a perimeter of a hole in a body portion of the implant for accepting a fastener; (2) a microchip associated with the implant and the sensor, the microchip configured to receive at least a first signal from the sensor; (3) a transmitter associated with the microchip for transmitting a second signal, representative of the first signal; (4) a receiver located outside of the patient, the receiver configured receive the transmitted second signal; and (5) a display device associated with the receiver, the display device configured to provide an audible or visual representation of the second signal to a user.

Disclosed is a bone regeneration device which forms an electric field on a scaffold inserted into a bone damage site. The present bone regeneration device comprises: a battery; a first electric conductor to be connected to a first electrode of the battery and inserted into a bone located on one side of the scaffold; and a second electric conductor to be connected to a second electrode of the battery and inserted into a bone located on the other side of the scaffold, wherein the battery forms an electric field on the scaffold by applying voltage to the first electric conductor and the second electric conductor.

A bone implant includes a bore extending entirely through the bone implant. The bone implant also includes a light source to emit light onto bone adjacent the bone implant to stimulate bone growth and/or reduce bone loss.

A system and method for spinal fusion that can include: a spinal cage body that includes at least one defined graft window cavity; a plurality of electrodes exposed on the surface of the spinal cage body; control circuitry configured to drive the plurality of electrodes in a stimulation mode; wherein there is at least a targeted osteoinduction region and a targeted non-osteoinduction region that are immediately adjacent to the spinal cage body; and wherein the control circuitry includes configuration to excite the plurality of electrodes during the stimulation mode for generation of a current density in the targeted osteoinduction region and targeted non-osteoinduction region according to targeted levels of bone growth.

A system and method for electrical stimulation in an orthopedic implant that includes at least one implantable component with an implant body, a plurality of electrodes, and implant circuitry is effective to convert an external wireless power transmission to an electrical current and effective to control the plurality of electrodes; and at least one non-implant with a power source, and transmitter circuitry to generate the electromagnetic field that couples with the implant circuitry.

A scaffold comprised of a plurality of PLLA layers, which may include stem cells, for regenerating bone or tissue. The PLLA layers are separated by a plurality of hydrogel layers. The PLLA layers comprise a nanofiber mesh having a piezoelectric constant to apply an electrical charge to the bone or tissue upon application of ultrasound energy.

An anchor for attaching injured soft tissue to a bone and generating a therapeutic electromagnetic field at least in a part of the soft tissue when the soft tissue is sutured to the anchor, the anchor comprising: a) an affixing portion configured for affixing the anchor to the bone; b) a coil that generates the electromagnetic field when a current runs through it; c) an electronics module that controls the current in the coil; and d) an electric power source that provides electric power to the electronics module and the coil.

A system and method for altering bone growth on and within an orthopedic implant that includes an implant body; a plurality of electrodes, wherein each electrode is at least partially embedded in the implant body, and comprises: a set of primary electrodes comprising at least one electrode, wherein a non-embedded segment of each primary electrode is proximal to a bone growth region, a set of secondary electrodes comprising at least one electrode, wherein a non-embedded segment of each secondary electrode is distal to the bone growth region, and wherein the plurality of electrodes are configured to function in a stimulation operating mode, such that a subset of primary electrodes function as cathodes and a subset of secondary electrodes function as anodes; a control system comprising a processor, and circuitry that connects to the plurality of electrodes; and a power system.

There is a need for methods that can produce piezoelectric composites having suitable physical characteristics and also optimized electrical stimulatory proper-ties. The present application provides piezo-electric composites, including tissue-stimu-lating composites, as well as methods of making such composites, that meet these needs. In embodiments, methods of making a spinal implant are provided. The methods suitably comprise preparing a thermoset, thermoplastic or thermoset/thermoplastic, or copolymer polymerizable matrix, dispersing a plurality of piezoelectric particles in the polymerizable matrix to generate dispersion, shaping the dispersion, inducing an electric polarization in the piezoelectric particles in the shaped dispersion, wherein at least 40% of the piezoelectric particles form chains.

A bone implant includes a bore extending entirely through the bone implant. The bone implant also includes a light source to emit light onto bone adjacent the bone implant to stimulate bone growth and/or reduce bone loss.