METHOD AND DEVICE FOR REPAIR OF CARTILAGE DEFECTS
Methods for repairing a cartilage defect in a subject, such methods comprising placing a tissue specimen into a container, centrifuging the container to separate the specimen into at least three fractions, drawing a selected fraction from the container, processing the fraction into a therapeutic composition, and treating the cartilage defect with the therapeutic composition.
1 . A method for treating a cartilage defect in a human subject comprising:
obtaining blood compatible with the subject;
fractionating said blood to produce platelet-poor plasma;
concentrating said platelet-poor plasma to produce a platelet-poor plasma concentrate; and
administering said concentrate to the site of said cartilage defect.
2 . A method for treating a cartilage defect in a human subject according to claim 1 , wherein said blood is obtained from said subject, and fractionating said blood to produce a blood component comprises centrifuging said blood to form said platelet-poor plasma.
3 . A method for treating a cartilage defect in a human subject according to claim 2 , wherein said centrifuging said blood to form said blood component comprises centrifuging blood in a container including a buoy that is able to separate said blood into two or more fractions having different densities.
4 . A method for treating a cartilage defect in a human subject according to claim 1 , further comprising administering to said cartilage defect an adjunct therapeutic material.
5 . A method for treating a cartilage defect in a human subject according to claim 4 , wherein said adjunct therapeutic material is selected from the group consisting of bioactive agents, scaffold materials, isolated tissue materials and combinations thereof.
6 . A method for treating a cartilage defect in a human subject according to claim 5 , wherein said adjunct therapeutic material is an autologous isolated tissue material selected from the group consisting of whole blood, platelet-rich plasma, lipoaspirate, adipose stromal cells, bone marrow aspirate, and combinations thereof.
7 . A method for treating cartilage defect in a human subject according to claim 6 , wherein said adjunct therapeutic material comprises concentrated bone marrow aspirate.
8 . A method for treating a cartilage defect in a human subject according to claim 7 , further comprising obtaining bone marrow from said subject, and centrifuging said bone marrow aspirate to produce said concentrated bone marrow aspirate.
9 . A method for treating a cartilage defect in a human subject according to claim 5 , wherein said adjunct therapeutic material comprises a platelet activator.
10 . A method for treating a cartilage defect in a human subject according to claim 5 , wherein said adjunct therapeutic material is a scaffold selected from the group consisting of collagen, hyaluronic acid, chitosan, demineralized bone matrix, bone graft materials, ceramics, and mixtures thereof.
11 . A method for treating a cartilage defect in a human subject according to claim 1 , further comprising performing a microfracture procedure at the site of said defect prior to said administering of said concentrate.
12 . A method for treating a cartilage defect in a human subject according to claim 11 , wherein said microfracture procedure breaches suchondral bone adjacent to said cartilage defect, and said concentrate is administered to the site of said breach.
13 . A method for treating a cartilage defect in a human subject according to claim 12 , wherein said concentrate further comprises a scaffold material selected from the group of demineralized bone matrix, bone graft materials, and ceramics.
14 . A method for treating a cartilage defect in a human subject comprising:
obtaining blood from said subject;
centrifuging said blood to obtain platelet-poor plasma;
forming a platelet-poor plasma concentrate by desiccating and centrifuging said platelet-poor plasma;
combining said platelet-poor plasma gel with an adjunct therapeutic material to form a therapeutic composition; and
administering said therapeutic composition and a platelet activator to the site of said tissue defect.
15 . The method for treating a cartilage defect in a human subject according to claim 14 , wherein said centrifuging said blood to form said blood component comprises centrifuging blood in a container including a buoy that is able to separate said blood into two or more fractions having different densities.
16 . The method for treating a cartilage defect in a human subject according to claim 14 , wherein said adjunct therapeutic material is selected from the group consisting of bioactive agents, scaffold materials, isolated tissue materials and combinations thereof.
17 . A cartilage repair system, comprising:
a blood separation device comprising a container having at least one buoy, said container and buoy being operable during centrifugation of said container to produce isolated platelet-poor plasma from said whole blood; and
a plasma concentration device operable to produce a platelet-poor plasma gel from said isolated platelet-poor plasma;
a surgical process component operable to facilitate the repair of a cartilage defect in a human or other animal subject using said gel.
18 . A cartilage repair system according to claim 17 , wherein said surgical process component is selected from the group consisting of application devices, adjunct therapeutic materials, and combinations thereof.
19 . A cartilage repair system according to claim 18 , wherein said system comprises an adjunct therapeutic material comprising a platelet activator.
20 . A cartilage repair system according to claim 19 , wherein said system comprises an application device comprising a syringe operable to co-administer said platelet-poor plasma gel and a platelet activator.
21 . A kit for cartilage repair, comprising:
a plasma concentration device operable to produce a platelet-poor plasma concentrate; and
a blood separation device comprising a container having at least one buoy, said container and buoy being operable during centrifugation of said container to isolate platelet-poor plasma from said whole blood.
22 . A kit for cartilage repair according to claim 21 , further comprising a surgical process component selected from the group consisting of application devices, adjunct therapeutic materials, anticoagulant, and combinations thereof.
23 . A kit for cartilage repair according to claim 22 , wherein said kit comprises an adjunct therapeutic material.
24 . A kit for cartilage repair according to claim 22 , wherein said kit comprises an application device comprising a syringe operable to co-administer said platelet-poor plasma concentrate and a platelet activator.