Claims
- 1. An orthopedic implant comprising an implant element for surgical insertion into a bone or bone-related tissue and of a patient, said implant element comprising an ordered microgeometric, repetitive surface pattern in a form of a multiplicity of substantially parallel alternating ridges and grooves, each having an established width in a range of about 2 to about 25 microns, and an established depth in a range of about 2 to about 25 microns,
whereby said micro-geometric repetitive pattern defines a guide for a preferential promotion of the rate, orientation and direction of growth of colonies of cells of said bone which are in contact with said surface pattern.
- 2. The implant as recited in claim 1, in which said implant element comprises an orthonormal matrix of said pattern of alternating ridges and grooves.
- 3. The implant as recited in claim 1, in which said multiplicity comprises a first multiplicity of said alternating ridges and grooves includes an axis co-parallel with a major axis of said implant.
- 4. The implant as recited in claim 3 comprising a second multiplicity of said alternating ridges and grooves transverse to said major axis of said first multiplicity.
- 5. The implant as recited in claim 1 in which base materials of said implant are selected from the group consisting of the materials of titanium and alloys thereof, stainless steel, ceramics, biocompatible glass and combinations thereof.
- 6. The implant as recited in claim 2 in which said orthonormal matrix is oriented diagonally relative to a major axis of the implant.
- 7. The implant as recited in claim 1 in which said repetitive microgeometric pattern of ridges and grooves comprises application to surfaces of said implant element in orientations which, relative to a longitudinal axis of said implant, are selected from the group consisting of vertical, horizontal, orthonormal diagonal, radial, circumferential, and concentric orientations.
- 8. The implant as recited in claim 5 in which a surface of said implant element comprises a coating selected from the group of surfaces consisting of hydroxyapatite, RBM roughening, titanium, plama sprayed, calcium sulfate, biocompatible glass, collagen, growth factor compounds, and combination thereof.
- 9. The implant as recited in claim 1 in which said orthopedic implant is selected from the group consisting hip, knee, shoulder, elbow, ankle and finger implants.
- 10. The implant as recited in claim 9 in which said implants are selected from the group consisting of bone and soft tissue anchors.
- 11. The implant as recited in claim 9 in which said repetitive microgeometric pattern comprises a product of the process selected from the process group consisting of laser etching, acid etching, mechanical etching, and photolithography.
- 12. The implant as recited in claim 9 comprising different zones furnished with respectively different surface patterns.
- 13. The implant as recited in claim 12 in which said different zones include respective hard and soft tissue contact zones.
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This case is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/500,038, filed Feb. 8, 2000 which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/996,224, filed Dec. 22, 1997 (now abandoned) which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/639,712, filed Apr. 27, 1996 (now abandoned) which is a continuation of Ser. No. 08/390,805 filed Feb. 15, 1995 (now abandoned) which is a continuation of Ser. No. 08/146,790, filed Nov. 2, 1993 (now abandoned).
Continuations (3)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08639712 |
Apr 1996 |
US |
Child |
08996224 |
Dec 1997 |
US |
Parent |
08390805 |
Feb 1995 |
US |
Child |
08639712 |
Apr 1996 |
US |
Parent |
08146790 |
Nov 1993 |
US |
Child |
08390805 |
Feb 1995 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09500038 |
Feb 2000 |
US |
Child |
09784284 |
Feb 2001 |
US |
Parent |
08996224 |
Dec 1997 |
US |
Child |
09500038 |
Feb 2000 |
US |