Implant surface preparation
View Patent ↗The surface of a device that is surgically implantable in living bone is prepared. The device is made of titanium with a native oxide layer on the surface. The method of preparation comprises the steps of removing the native oxide layer from the surface of the device and performing further treatment of the surface substantially in the absence of unreacted oxygen.
1. A method of preparing the surface of an implant to be surgically implanted in living bone and made of titanium, the implant having a surface with a native oxide layer thereon, the method comprising the steps of:
removing the native oxide layer from the surface;
acid-etching the surface from which the native oxide layer has been removed to form an acid-etched surface with a uniform surface roughness with peak-to-valley heights of less than 10 microns; and
applying discrete particles on the acid-etched surface to produce bone-growth enhancing material on the acid-etched surface.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the applying occurs in an absence of oxygen.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the bone-growth enhancing material on the acid-etched surface is hydroxyapatite.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the applying hydroxyapatite includes applying hydroxyapatite in the form of discrete particles.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the uniform surface roughness includes a uniform array of irregularities.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the applying includes applying the bone-growth enhancing material in the form of particles located on the irregularities.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein the applying includes applying the bone-growth enhancing material in the form of particles that become entrapped between the irregularities.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the applying includes applying the bone-growth enhancing material using an inert atmosphere.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the removing said native oxide layer is carried out by an acid-etching process.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the applying produces a layer of bone-growth enhancing material on the acid-etched surface.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the applying produces a layer of hydroxyapatite on the acid-etched surface.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the applying produces discrete particulates of bone-growth enhancing material on the acid-etched surface.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the applying produces discrete particulates of hydroxyapatite on the acid-etched surface.
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising grit-blasting the surface.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the act of grit blasting includes using titanium grit.
16. A method of preparing a surface of a device that is surgically implantable in living bone, said device being made of titanium and having a native oxide layer on said surface, said method comprising the steps of:
removing the native oxide layer from the surface of the device until the depth of the peak-to-peak oxygen profile as measured by Auger spectrometer has decreased to one-half of the initial profile;
after the removing, performing a roughening treatment on the surface resulting from the removing to produce a roughened surface with a uniform array of irregularities having peak-to-valley heights less than 10 microns; and
after the performing a roughening treatment on the surface, applying discrete particles-of a bone-growth enhancing material on the roughened surface.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising grit-blasting the surface.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein said grit-blasting includes blasting with titanium particles.
19. The method of claim 16 wherein the applying includes applying the bone-growth enhancing material in the form of particles located on the irregularities.
20. The method of claim 16 wherein the applying occurs in the absence of oxygen.
21. The method of claim 16 wherein the removing said native oxide layer is carried out by an acid-etching process.
22. The method of claim 16 wherein the applying discrete particles produces a layer of bone-growth enhancing material on the roughened surface.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein the applying discrete particles produces a layer of hydroxyapatite on the roughened surface.
24. The method of claim 16 wherein the applying discrete particles produces discrete particulates of bone-growth enhancing material on the roughened surface.
25. The method of claim 24 wherein the applying discrete particles produces discrete particulates of hydroxyapatite on the roughened surface.
26. A method of preparing the surface of an implant to be surgically implanted in living bone and made of titanium, the implant having a surface with a native oxide layer thereon, the method comprising the steps of:
removing the native oxide layer from the surface;
acid-etching the surface from which the native oxide layer has been removed to form an acid-etched surface having a uniform array of irregularities with peak-to-valley heights less than 10 microns; and
applying a protein in the form of discrete particles on the acid-etched surface.
27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the protein is a bone morphegenic protein.
28. The method of claim 26 , wherein the applying occurs in an absence of oxygen.
29. The method of claim 26 , wherein the applying includes applying the protein particles between irregularities.
30. The method of claim 26 , wherein the applying includes applying the protein particles on and between the irregularities.
31. A method of preparing a surface of a device that is surgically implantable in living bone, said device being made of titanium and having a native oxide layer on said surface, said method comprising the steps of:
removing the native oxide layer from the surface of the device until the depth of the peak-to-peak oxygen profile as measured by Auger spectrometer has decreased to one-half of the initial profile;
after the removing, performing a roughening treatment on the surface resulting from the removing to produce a roughened surface having a uniform array of irregularities with peak-to-valley heights of less than 10 microns; and
after the performing a roughening treatment on the surface, applying a protein on the roughened surface.
32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the protein is a bone morphogenic protein.
33. The method of claim 31 , wherein the applying includes applying the protein in the form of particles located on the irregularities.
34. The method of claim 31 , wherein the applying occurs in the absence of oxygen.
35. The method of claim 31 , wherein the applying includes applying discrete particles of protein.
36. The method of claim 31 , wherein the applying includes applying a film of protein.
37. A method of preparing the surface of an implant to be surgically implanted in living bone and made of titanium, the implant including a collar region and a bone-interfacing surface between the collar region and a lowermost end, the bone-interfacing region extending to the lowermost end, the implant having a surface with a native oxide layer thereon, the method comprising the steps of:
removing the native oxide layer from substantially the entire bone-interfacing surface;
acid etching the bone-interfacing surface from which the native oxide layer has been removed to form a surface roughness having irregularities with peak-to-valley heights less than 10 microns; and
depositing discrete particles of hydroxyapatite along the entire bone-interfacing surface of the acid-etched surface.
38. The method of claim 37 , wherein the hydroxyapatite depositing includes applying hydroxyapatite in the form of discrete particles.
39. The method of claim 37 , wherein the hydroxyapatite particles are located on the irregularities.
40. A method of preparing a surface of a device that is surgically implantable in living bone, said device being made of titanium and having a native oxide layer on said surface, said method comprising the steps of:
removing the native oxide layer from the surface of the device until the depth of the peak-to-peak oxygen profile as measured by Auger spectrometer has decreased to one-half of the initial profile;
after the removing, performing a roughening treatment on the surface resulting from the removing to produce a roughened surface with irregularities having peak-to-valley heights of less than 10 microns; and
after the performing a roughening treatment on the surface, depositing discrete particles of a bone-growth enhancing material on the roughened surface such that that discrete particles are located on and between the irregularities.
41. The method of claim 40 , wherein the bone-growth enhancing material includes hydroxyapatite.
42. The method of claim 40 , wherein the depositing includes applying the bone-growth enhancing material in the form of particles located on the irregularities of the roughened surface.
43. The method of claim 40 , wherein the depositing includes applying the bone-growth enhancing material in the form of particles located on the irregularities of the roughened surface.
44. A method of preparing the surface of an implant to be surgically implanted in living bone and made of titanium, the implant having a surface with a native oxide layer thereon, the method comprising the steps of:
removing the native oxide layer from the surface;
performing a roughening treatment on the surface to form a surface roughness with elements having peak-to-valley heights less than 10 microns; and
depositing discrete particles of hydroxyapatite on the roughened surface, the discrete particles being located on the elements.
45. The method of claim 44 , wherein the depositing includes applying the bone-growth enhancing material in the form of particles located on the elements.
46. The method of claim 44 , wherein the depositing includes applying the bone-growth enhancing material in the form of particles that become entrapped between the elements.
47. The method of claim 44 , further comprising grit-blasting the surface.