Articular cartilage repair
Inventors
Estes, Bradley T. • Guilak, Farshid • Moutos, Franklin Thomas
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10940007-B2
Publication Date
2021-03-09
Expiration Date
Abstract
A method has been developed for repairing a cartilage lesion. The method includes bringing a three-dimensional porous substrate into direct contact with prepared bone. The three-dimensional porous substrate is fixedly coupled to a three-dimensional scaffold such that the substrate supports the scaffold. The three-dimensional porous substrate comprises at least three layers of woven fibers. The substrate is configured to be inserted into bone tissue including cartilage lesions such that the substrate and the scaffold replace the bone tissue including the cartilage lesions. The substrate and scaffold are further configured such that after the substrate and the scaffold have replaced the bone tissue including the cartilage lesions, the substrate and scaffold promote growth and integration of new bone tissue into the implant.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to repairing a cartilage lesion by bringing a three-dimensional porous substrate into direct contact with prepared bone. The three-dimensional porous substrate is fixedly coupled to a three-dimensional scaffold, and the three-dimensional scaffold comprises a plurality of layers of woven fibers. The disclosed arrangement uses a fixed coupling between the porous substrate and the woven-fiber scaffold to perform cartilage repair at the prepared bone site.
The invention further addresses implant introduction by locating a cartilage lesion in a joint, enlarging the cartilage lesion, and preparing a bone bed surrounding the perimeter to receive a three-dimensional porous substrate. The three-dimensional porous substrate, together with a three-dimensional scaffold fixedly coupled to the porous substrate, is inserted so that the enlarged cartilage lesion is completely filled. In this framework, the scaffold and porous substrate are treated as an integrated implant component for lesion filling and repair.
In embodiments directed to repairing joint tissues, the method includes locating a site in the joint tissues in need of repair having native anatomic curvature. Joint tissues are removed at the site and a bone bed is prepared surrounding the perimeter of the site to receive an implant. The implant insertion includes bringing the three-dimensional porous substrate into contact with the prepared bone bed while recreating the native anatomic curvature of the joint with the three-dimensional scaffold of the implant, where the scaffold is fixedly coupled to the three-dimensional porous substrate.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims are clm-00001, clm-00021, and clm-00027. Across these independent claims, the inventive features center on an integrated implant where a fixedly coupled three-dimensional porous substrate and a three-dimensional woven-fiber scaffold are positioned against prepared bone and used to fill an enlarged lesion and/or recreate native anatomic curvature.
Fixedly coupled porous substrate and woven-fiber scaffold for cartilage repair
Bringing a three-dimensional porous substrate into direct contact with prepared bone, wherein the three-dimensional porous substrate is fixedly coupled to a three-dimensional scaffold, and the three-dimensional scaffold comprises a plurality of layers of woven fibers.
Lesion enlargement with complete filling using fixedly coupled porous substrate and scaffold
Locating a cartilage lesion in a joint; enlarging the cartilage lesion; preparing a bone bed surrounding the perimeter of the cartilage lesion to receive a three-dimensional porous substrate of the cartilage repair implant; inserting the three-dimensional porous substrate of the cartilage repair implant into the prepared bone bed such that the three-dimensional porous substrate and a three-dimensional scaffold fixedly coupled to the porous substrate of the cartilage repair implant completely fill the enlarged cartilage lesion.
Recreating native anatomic curvature using fixedly coupled porous substrate and scaffold
Locating a site in the joint tissues in need of repair, the site having native anatomic curvature; removing joint tissues at the site and preparing a bone bed surrounding the perimeter of the site to receive an implant; inserting the implant into the site, including bringing a three-dimensional porous substrate of the implant into contact with the prepared bone bed; and recreating the native anatomic curvature of the joint with a three-dimensional scaffold of the implant, wherein the three-dimensional scaffold is fixedly coupled to the three-dimensional porous substrate.
Collectively, the independent claims define cartilage or joint-tissue repair methods that rely on a fixedly coupled pair of components—a three-dimensional porous substrate and a three-dimensional scaffold comprising layers of woven fibers—used at a prepared bone site, including complete filling of an enlarged cartilage lesion and/or recreating native anatomic curvature.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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