Methods of augmenting, reducing, and repairing bone with thermoplastic materials
A method for augmenting a tissue including introducing into the tissue a first thermoplastic material at a first condition; treating the first thermoplastic material to achieve a second condition that includes an at least partially crystalline skin; and introducing a second material into the tissue whereby the first thermoplastic material and the second material are contained by the at least partially crystalline skin. Also a method of fracture reduction in a tissue including exposing to gamma radiation a mass of polycaprolactone characterized by a first shape; heating the mass of irradiated polycaprolactone above its melting temperature; introducing the heated mass of polycaprolactone into the tissue annulus to deform it from the first shape; allowing the material to return to the first shape.
1. A method for preparing a modified polycaprolactone composition for hardware fixation as part of fracture treatment, comprising:
blending a polycaprolactone composition with a radiopacifier to create a modified composition;
shaping the modified composition into a first shape; and
inducing a shape memory property to the modified composition;
after the inducing step, heating the modified composition above a melting temperature thereof so that the modified composition achieves a second shape deformed from the first shape;
cooling the modified composition below the melting temperature, the modified composition having a recrystallization rate higher than the polycaprolactone composition; and
cooling the modified composition below the melting temperature so that the modified composition transitions from the second shape to a shape that approximates the first shape.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of inducing a shape memory property includes irradiating the modified composition.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of irradiating uses gamma radiation in the range of about 15 kGy to about 50 kGy.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modified composition is shaped into a substantially rod shape as a first shape.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
actively altering the temperature of the modified composition in the second shape.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of actively altering is actively heating.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of actively altering is actively cooling.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polycaprolactone composition has an inherent viscosity in the range of about 1.0 dl/g to about 1.3 dl/g.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
blending the polycaprolactone composition with calcium materials.
10. A method for preparing a modified polycaprolactone composition for hardware fixation as part of fracture treatment, comprising:
blending a polycaprolactone composition with a radiopacifier to create a modified composition;
shaping the modified composition into a first shape; and
inducing a shape memory property to the modified composition;
after the inducing step, heating the modified composition above a melting temperature thereof so that the modified composition achieves a second shape deformed from the first shape;
cooling the modified composition below the melting temperature so that the modified composition transitions from the second shape to a shape that approximates the first shape.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of inducing a shape memory property includes irradiating the modified composition.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of irradiating uses gamma radiation in the range of about 15 kGy to about 50 kGy.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the modified composition is shaped into a substantially rod shape as a first shape.
14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
actively altering the temperature of the modified composition in the second shape.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of actively altering is actively heating.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of actively altering is actively cooling.