CARTILAGE MATERIAL
Cartilage materials such as cartilage fluff and a cartilage composition comprising a particulate material are disclosed. These are suitable for stimulating chondrogenesis and/or producing cartilage regeneration. Also disclosed are processes for their preparation. Methods for regenerating articular cartilage are also disclosed, which involve, for example, placing the cartilage fluff or cartilage composition into a cartilage defect.
1 . A cartilage fluff comprising an animal cartilage material in the form of a fluff.
2 . The cartilage fluff of claim 1 , which comprises strands of animal cartilage material, said strands having an average length of about 200 μm to about 3,000 μm.
3 . The cartilage fluff of claim 1 , which comprises strands of animal cartilage material, said strands having an average width of about 40 μm to about 140 μm.
4 . The cartilage fluff of claim 1 , which comprises strands of animal cartilage material, said strands having one or more branches of an average width up to about 50 μm.
5 . The cartilage fluff of claim 4 , wherein the one or more branches are intertwined with one or more of said strands.
6 . The cartilage fluff of claim 1 , wherein the strands have an average length from about 1,000 μm to about 3,000 μm.
7 . The cartilage fluff of claim 1 , wherein the strands have at least one or more strands having branches of an average width from about 5 μm to about 50 μm.
8 . The cartilage fluff of claim 1 , wherein the animal cartilage material comprises chemically untreated non-demineralized articular cartilage.
9 . The cartilage fluff of claim 1 , wherein the animal cartilage material comprises one of hyaline cartilage, fibrocartilage, and mixtures thereof.
10 . The cartilage fluff of claim 1 , wherein the animal cartilage material comprises one of allogeneic cartilage, xenogeneic cartilage, and mixtures thereof.
11 . The cartilage fluff of claim 1 , wherein the animal cartilage comprises human cartilage.
12 . A method of regenerating cartilage in an animal in need thereof comprising administering an effective amount of the cartilage fluff of claim 1 to a site of the animal where there is a need for regenerating articular cartilage.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the cartilage fluff is applied without the use of a vehicle.
14 . A method of preparing a cartilage fluff according to claim 1 , comprising freeze-drying cartilage to obtain a freeze-dried cartilage, grinding the freeze-dried cartilage to obtain a ground material comprising cartilage fluff, and separating the cartilage fluff from the ground material.
15 . A method of preparing a cartilage fluff according to claim 1 , comprising securing bone with cartilage in a milling and digitizing machine, and shaving the cartilage to obtain the cartilage fluff.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the shaving is carried out with a drill bit, core drill, or burr.
17 . A method of preparing a cartilage fluff according to claim 1 , comprising freeze-drying articular cartilage and milling the freeze-dried cartilage to obtain the cartilage fluff.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein said articular cartilage is attached to bone.
19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein said articular cartilage is unattached to bone.
20 . A method of preparing a cartilage fluff according to claim 1 , comprising processing fluff from frozen cartilage or from cryopreserved cartilage.
21 . A cartilage composition comprising non-demineralized particulate cartilage having an average particle size greater than 1,000 μm.
22 . The cartilage composition according to claim 21 , wherein the non-demineralized particulate cartilage comprises chemically untreated non-demineralized particular articular cartilage.
23 . The cartilage composition according to claim 21 , wherein the non-demineralized particulate cartilage comprises one of hyaline cartilage, fibrocartilage, and mixtures thereof.
24 . The cartilage composition according to claim 21 , wherein the non-demineralized particulate cartilage comprises one of allogeneic cartilage, xenogeneic cartilage, and mixtures thereof.
25 . The cartilage composition according to claim 21 , wherein the cartilage comprises human cartilage.
26 . A method of preparing a cartilage composition according to claim 21 , comprising freeze-drying cartilage to obtain a freeze-dried cartilage, grinding the freeze-dried cartilage to obtain a ground material comprising a particulate cartilage composition, and separating the particulate cartilage composition from the ground material.
27 . A method of regenerating articular cartilage in an animal in need thereof comprising administering an effective amount of the cartilage composition of claim 21 to a site of the animal where there is need for regenerating cartilage.
28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the cartilage composition comprises chemically untreated non-demineralized particular articular cartilage.
29 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the cartilage composition comprises one of hyaline cartilage, fibrocartilage, and mixtures thereof.
30 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the cartilage composition comprises one of allogeneic cartilage, xenogeneic cartilage, and mixtures thereof.
31 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the cartilage composition comprises human cartilage.