BIORESORBABLE BONE IMPLANT AND PRODUCTION METHOD

Abstract

The invention relates to a bone implant (1) for correcting an incorrect position of a bone, the bone implant (1) having a first portion (2) for attachment to a first bone portion (3) of the bone and a second portion (4) for attachment to a second bone portion (5) of the bone, the bone implant (1) being prepared so that, when fixed to the bone, it orients the first bone portion (3) and the second bone portion (5) with respect to one another and keeps said portions at a distance from one another, the bone implant (1) having such a geometry and being adapted such that the bone implant (1) can be inserted between the first bone portion (3) and the second bone portion (5) so as to force a predetermined orientation of the second bone portion (5) relative to the first bone portion (3). The invention also relates to a method for producing such a bone implant (1), in which method a geometry of the bone implant (1) is calculated in one step for correcting an incorrect position of a bone, the geometry is broken down into defined layers in a subsequent step, and then, in a subsequent step, the layers are produced, then stacked one on top of the other and connected to one another.

Claims

1. A bone implant suitable for use as a filler for correcting an incorrect position of a bone in the field of dysgnathia, the bone implant having a first portion for attachment to a first bone portion of the bone and a second portion for attachment to a second bone portion of the bone, the bone implant being prepared so that, when fixed to the bone, it orients the first bone portion and the second bone portion relative to each other and keeps said portions at a distance from each other, the bone implant having such geometry and being adapted such that the bone implant can be inserted between the first bone portion and the second bone portion so as to force a predetermined orientation of the second bone portion relative to the first bone portion.

2. The bone implant according to claim 1, wherein the first portion is configured to abut on the first bone portion and the second portion is configured to abut on the second bone portion, the first portion being arranged to be opposed to the second portion.

3. The bone implant according to claim 1, wherein the bone implant contains or is made up from biodegradable metallic materials and/or contains or is made up from resorbable polymers or ceramic materials.

4. The bone implant according to claim 1, wherein the bone implant in the form of a filler at least in portions has a truss-type of grid-type structure.

5. The bone implant according to claim 1, wherein webs are joined on top of one another and/or are joined next to one another to create a three-dimensional structure.

6. The bone implant according to claim 5, wherein the webs extend to be inclined relative to one another and have contacting and connecting areas.

7. The bone implant according to any one of the claim 5, wherein at least one cavity is formed between the webs.

8. The bone implant 44 according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of cavities is present in predefined areas at a distance from the webs.

9. The bone implant according to claim 1, wherein the bone implant is constructed of composite layers and/or is produced in a generative manufacturing method.

10. A method of producing a bone implant according to wherein a geometry of the bone implant is calculated in one step for correcting an incorrect position of a bone and is generatively produced.

11. The bone implant according to claim 2, wherein the bone implant contains or is made up from biodegradable metallic materials and/or contains or is made up from resorbable polymers or ceramic materials.

12. The bone implant according to any one of the claims 6, wherein at least one cavity is formed between the webs.

Description

[0038] Hereinafter, the invention will be illustrated by way of drawings, wherein:

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a bone implant according to the invention in a first example embodiment,

[0040] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the bone implant in a second example embodiment,

[0041] FIG. 3 shows a perspective representation of the bone implant in the first example embodiment in the implanted condition in connection with a mandible,

[0042] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the bone implant in the second example embodiment in the implanted condition in connection with the mandible, and

[0043] FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of the method steps of a method for producing the bone implant.

[0044] The figures are merely schematic and serve exclusively for the comprehension of the invention. Like elements are marked by like reference numerals. The different features of the individual example embodiments may be interchanged at will.

[0045] FIG. 1 illustrates a bone implant 1 which is used as a filler for filling a gap in the bone when correcting an incorrect position of a bone, especially an incorrect jaw position, in the field of dysgnathia. The bone implant 1 has a first portion 2 for attachment to a first bone portion 3 of the bone and a second portion 4 for attachment to a second bone portion 5 of the bone. The bone implant 1 is prepared so that, when fixed to the bone, it orients the first bone portion 3 and the second bone portion 5 relative to each other and keeps said portions at a distance from each other. The bone implant 1 thus has such geometry which is adapted such that the bone implant 1 can be inserted between the first bone portion 3 and the second bone portion 5. Consequently, when inserting the bone implant 1, a predetermined orientation of the second bone portion 5 relative to the first bone portion 3 is forced.

[0046] The first portion 2 of the bone implant 1 is formed at a first surface 6 of the bone implant and the second portion 4 of the bone implant 1 is formed at a second surface 7. The two surfaces 6, 7 are arranged to be opposed to each other. Further, on a lower side the bone implant 1 includes a surface 8 and on an upper side the bone implant 1 includes a surface 9 which, in the inserted condition, fit into the contour of the bone. The bone implant/implant 1 from FIG. 1 takes a substantially rectangular shape. However, the shape of the implant 1 may strongly vary depending on the incorrect bone position.

[0047] The implant 1 from FIG. 2 takes a 1 shape or the shape of a hook having a pointed projection 10 protruding in the direction of the second side 7. In the inserted condition, the second bone portion 5 abuts on the second side 7 and on the inner side of the projection 10. The outer side of the projection 10 is formed by the surface 8.

[0048] Both in the implant 1 from FIG. 1 and in the implant 1 from FIG. 2, the first surface 6 and the second surface 7 are inclined toward each other so that the use of the implant 1 helps to achieve both a spacing of the two bone portions 3, 5 and a relative rotation.

[0049] In FIG. 3 and, resp., FIG. 4, the implants from FIG. 1 and, resp., FIG. 2 are shown in a condition inserted in the jaw. The first and, resp., second surfaces 6, 7 of the bone implant 1 abut to be flush with the first and, resp., second bone portions 3, 5. The bone implant 1 may be designed to have a grid structure 11 (cf. FIG. 1 or FIG. 2) so that it forms a type of porous implant having plural recesses 12 or may be designed as a solid implant (cf. FIG. 3 or FIG. 4).

[0050] The bone implant includes plural recesses in the form of a through-bore 13 which are used for fixation by fasteners (not shown). The through-bores 13 are configured in a direction which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the bone implant 1 and thus also perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the bone.

[0051] FIG. 5 illustrates the process steps of a method for producing such bone implant 1. In a first step 14 the jaw anatomy/bone anatomy of a patient is detected e.g. by computer tomography. In a second step 15, a geometry of the bone implant 1 is calculated for correcting the incorrect position of the bone. Inter alia, an intersection line for severing the bone is determined and the geometry, especially that of the first portion 2 and that of the second portion 4, is adapted to the intersection line. Subsequently, in a third step 16 the geometry of the (calculated) bone implant 1 is broken down into very thin and defined layers. In a subsequent fourth step 17, the layers are produced e.g. in a generative manufacturing method and optionally the strength thereof is additionally increased by a heat treatment. After that, in a fifth step 18 the layers are stacked one on top of the other and are connected to one another so that a bone implant is formed.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0052] 1 bone implant/implant [0053] 2 first portion [0054] 3 first bone portion [0055] 4 second portion [0056] 5 second bone portion [0057] 6 first surface [0058] 7 second surface [0059] 8 surface [0060] 9 surface [0061] 10 projection [0062] 11 grid structure [0063] 12 recess [0064] 13 through-hole [0065] 14 first step [0066] 15 second step [0067] 16 third step [0068] 17 fourth step [0069] 18 fifth step