A prosthetic disc can take the form of a sensing artificial disc that includes a resilient core and at least one sensor configured to sense one or more conditions within and/or experienced by the disc. The sensing artificial disc can serve as a replacement to a failed or injured disc between two vertebrae of a spine. The sensing artificial disc can include at least one element configured to change a condition or property of the resilient core in response to a condition sensed by the at least one sensor. A prosthetic disc can include therapeutic system configured to deliver medication to the body, which can include a reservoir of medication.

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.

A spacer for a knee replacement prosthesis. The spacer may have a lower surface with a locking component adapted to interlock with a tibial tray, an upper surface optionally with a tibial post and a pair of smooth-surfaced and slightly concave condyle support platforms disposed on opposite sides of the tibial post, and a substantially hollow body with an internal reservoir that can be filled with antibiotic material. The reservoir may be accessible from a port on the hollow body that leads into the internal reservoir, and which permits refilling of the reservoir. In some embodiments, the reservoir may be refillable from this port without removal of the spacer from the patient; for example, a percutaneous needle may be inserted into the port. The spacer may dispense antibiotic from this reservoir to the surrounding area in order to treat an infection.

Bone graft scaffold arrangements are described that can be used in minimally invasive posterolateral spinal fusion. The bone graft scaffold apparatus comprise a housing which comprises a cavity for receiving bone growth promoting materials and a plurality of apertures. In use these allow bone and blood vessels to grow through the plurality of apertures to form the bone bridge between vertebrae. Further the bone graft scaffold apparatus comprise at least one opening in the housing for receiving a shaft of an orthopaedic device, such as rod linking pedicle screws, or the shaft of a pedicle screw, or another suitable shaft in another surgical procedure. The apparatus can be attached to structural components such as rods and screws and used to form a continuous scaffold between vertebras to assist in forming a bone bridge.

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 of revising a patient having a fusion cage implanted within a spinal column, involving percutaneously delivering a first end of a tube to the spinal column, fluidly connecting the first end of the tube to the fusion cage, and delivering a bone growth agent into the fusion cage through the tube.

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.

An anatomy-specific implant for neuroplastic surgery. The implant includes a soft tissue implant component designed within and adapted to replace or restore missing soft tissue in a skull, joint or spine of the patient, wherein the soft tissue implant component is adapted to be coupled by an interdigitated connection to a rigid component. The rigid component can be a skull implant adapted to replace missing cranial or vertebral bone, or healthy cranial or vertebral bone, either of which can have downward extending catheters for medicinal brain or spinal cord infusion to help bypass the blood-brain barrier via multiphase flow. The soft tissue implant may include a functional component having neurotechnologies such as MRI-lucent pumps, Bluetooth connection systems, refillable diaphragms, remote imaging devices, wireless charging capabilities, and/or informative biosensors. The soft tissue implant component may be interchangeable with another soft tissue implant component in plug-and-play fashion.

The invention primarily relates to fastening and stabilizing tissues, implants, and/or bondable materials, such as the fastening of a tissue and/or implant to a bondable material, the fastening of an implant to tissue, and/or the fastening of an implant to another implant. This may involve using an energy source to bond and/or mechanically to stabilize a tissue, an implant, a bondable material, and/or other biocompatible material. The invention may also relate to the use of an energy source to remove and/or install an implant and/or bondable material or to facilitate solidification and/or polymerization of bondable material.

A spinal fixation device includes an outer housing and an end plate assembly coupled with the outer housing. The outer housing defines an aperture and a longitudinal axis. At least a portion of the end plate assembly is slidably received within the outer housing. The end plate assembly includes a first end plate configured to engage a vertebral body, wherein the end plate assembly is selectively movable between a first position in which the first end plate is spaced apart from the outer housing and a second position in which the first end plate is adjacent the outer housing. Further, the first end plate is selectively adjustable to an angular orientation of a plurality of angular orientations with respect to the longitudinal axis of the outer housing.