DEVICE FOR REGENERATION OF ARTICULAR CARTILAGE AND OTHER TISSUE

• Main Authors: BREKKE, JOHN, H, GOLDMAN, SCOTT, M, BRADICA, GINO
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 14.07.2010
• Subjects: BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS, ORSURGICAL ARTICLES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF,TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, E.G. STENTS; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION, OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; FIRST-AID KITS; FOMENTATION; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS, OR SURGICALARTICLES; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS INGENERAL; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL, OR TOILET PURPOSES; PROSTHESES; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS

An implantable device for facilitating the healing of voids in bone, cartilage and soft tissue is disclosed. A preferred embodiment includes a cartilage region comprising a polyelectrolytic complex joined with a subchondral bone region. The cartilage region, of this embodiment, enhances the environment for chondrocytes to grow articular cartilage; while the subchondral bone region enhances the environment for cells which migrate into that region's macrostructure and which differentiate into osteoblasts. A hydrophobic barrier exists between said regions, of this embodiment. In one embodiment, the polyelectrolytic complex transforms to hydrogel, following the implant procedure.