Surface treated biocomposite material, medical implants comprising same and methods of treatment thereof

1. An implant with a body composition of mineral and polymer with a surface comprising a different composition than the implant body, wherein 10-70% w/w of the body composition comprises mineral material, wherein said material comprises 1-15% w/w calcium, wherein the body comprises an interspersed composition of mineral and polymer, and a surface layer, wherein said surface layer comprises a surface composition of at least 10% of the surface that is of a different composition than the body composition and comprises less than 4% w/w silica; wherein the body comprises more than 8% w/w silica; wherein the calcium content of the surface is 50% w/w less than the calcium content of the body composition; and wherein the mineral to polymer weight ratio in the surface composition is less than 50% of mineral to polymer weight ratio than the body composition.

2. The implant of claim 1 , wherein 30-55% w/w of the body composition comprises mineral material.

3. The implant of claim 2 , wherein 45-55% w/w of the body composition comprises mineral material.

4. The implant of claim 1 , wherein said polymer comprises poly (L-co-D, L lactic acid) (PLDLA).

5. The implant of claim 1 , wherein said mineral material of said body composition comprises ranges of the following compounds, all mol %:

Na 2 O: 11.0-19.0 mol %;

CaO: 9.0-14.0 mol %;

MgO: 1.5-8.0 mol %;

B 2 O 3 : 0.5-3.0 mol %;

Al 2 O 3 : 0-0.8 mol %;

P 2 O 3 : 0.1-0.8 mol %; and

SiO 2 : 67-73 mol %.

6. The implant of claim 1 , wherein said mineral material of said body composition comprises ranges of the following compounds, all mol %:

Na 2 O: 12.0-13.0 mol %;

CaO: 9.0-10.0 mol %;

MgO: 7.0-8.0 mol %;

B 2 O 3 : 1.4-2.0 mol %;

P 2 O 3 : 0.5-0.8 mol %; and SiO 2 : 68-70 mol %.

7. The implant of claim 1 , wherein said mineral material of said body composition comprises ranges of the following compounds, all mol %:

Na 2 O: 11.0-19.0 mol %;

CaO: 8.0-14.0 mol %;

MgO: 2-8.0 mol %;

B 2 O 3 : 1-3.0 mol %;

Al 2 O 3 : 0-0.5 mol %;

P 2 O 3 : 1-2 mol %; and SiO 2 : 66-70 mol %.

8. The implant of claim 1 , wherein more than 30% of the surface is of a different composition than the body.

9. The implant of claim 8 , wherein more than 50% of the surface is of a different composition than the body.

10. The implant of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the surface layer is treated to partially expose a body composition, and wherein the treated portion of the surface layer has a roughness increase by more than five times the untreated surface.

11. The implant of claim 10 , wherein the treated portion of the surface layer has a roughness increase by more than ten times the untreated surface.

12. The implant of claim 11 , wherein the treated surface area increases the surface area by more than 15%.

13. The implant of claim 12 , wherein the treated surface area increases the surface area by more than 50%.

14. The implant of claim 10 wherein the surface maximum roughness is more than 2 microns.

15. The implant of claim 14 , wherein the surface maximum roughness is more than 3 microns.

16. The implant of claim 1 , comprising an absorbable structural material, comprising a resorbable, reinforcement filler, characterized in that strength and stiffness properties are anisotropic of at least 10%, at least 20% at least 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70′%, 80%, 90% or 100%, or any number in between, wherein said implant is reduced in volume as compared to an equivalent implant that is not constructed of said absorbable structural material.

17. The implant of claim 16 , comprising a load bearing absorbable bone implant, wherein said load is at least 200 MPa, above 300 MPa, above 400 MPa; and wherein said implant has a similar stiffness to cortical bone.

18. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the biodegradable composite has a maximum flexural modulus in the range of 6 GPa to 30 GPa and flexural strength in the range of 100 MPa to 1000 MPa.

19. The implant of claim 1 , wherein said biodegradable composite comprises a biodegradable polymer; wherein said biodegradable polymer comprises a homopolymer or copolymer; wherein said copolymer comprises a random copolymer, block copolymer or graft copolymer, wherein said polymer comprises a linear polymer, a branched polymer, or a dendrimer, of natural or synthetic origin; wherein said polymer comprises lactide, glycolide, caprolactone, valerolactone, carbonates, dioxanones, δ-valerolactone, 1,dioxepanones, ethylene glycol, ethylene oxide, esteramides, γ-hydroxyvalerate, β-hydroxypropionate, alpha-hydroxy acid, hydroxybuterates, poly (ortho esters), hydroxy alkanoates, tyrosine carbonates, polyimide carbonates, polyimino carbonates, (polyurethanes, polyanhydrides, polymer drugs, sugars; starch, cellulose and cellulose derivatives, polysaccharides, collagen, chitosan, fibrin, hyaluronic acid, polypeptides, proteins, poly (amino acids), polylactides (PLA), poly-L-lactide (PLLA), poly-DL-lactide (PDLLA); polyglycolide (PGA); copolymers of glycolide, glycolide/trimethylene carbonate copolymers (PGA/TMC); other copolymers of PLA, terpolymers of PLA, polydepsipeptides; unsymmetrically—3,6-substituted poly-1,4-dioxane-2,5-diones; polyhydroxyalkanoates; PHB/b-hydroxyvalerate copolymers (PHB/PHV); poly-b-hydroxypropionate (PHPA); poly-p-dioxanone (PDS); poly-d-valerolactone-poly-ε-capralactone, poly(ε-caprolactone-DL-lactide) copolymers; methylmethacrylate-N-vinyl pyrrolidone copolymers; polyesteramides; polyesters of oxalic acid; polydihydropyrans; polyalkyl-2-cyanoacrylates; polyurethanes (PU); polyvinylalcohol (PVA); polypeptides; poly-b-malic acid (PMLA): poly-b-alkanbic acids; polycarbonates; polyorthoesters; polyphosphates; poly(ester anhydrides); and mixtures thereof; and derivatives, copolymers and mixtures thereof.

20. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is in a form of a polymer matrix; wherein said polymer matrix comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of PLLA (poly-L-lactide), PDLLA (poly-DL-lactide) PLDLA (poly (L-co-D,L lactic acid), PGA, (poly-glycolic acid) PLGA (poly-lactide-glycolic acid) PCL (Polycaprolactone) PLLA PCL and a combination thereof.

21. The implant of claim 20 , wherein if PLLA is used, the matrix comprises at least 30% w/w, 50% w/w, or at least 70% w/w PLLA.

22. The implant of claim 20 , wherein if PDLA is the matrix comprises at least 5% w/w, at least 10% w/w, or at least 20% w/w.

23. The implant of claim 1 wherein the implant is selected from the groups consisting of bone fixation plates, intramedullary nails, hip joint implants, knee joint implants, elbow joint implants, spine implants, and devices for fracture fixation, tendon reattachment, spinal fixation, and spinal cages.

24. A method of treatment for an orthopedic application in a subject in need of treatment thereof, comprising implanting to the subject the medical implant of claim 1 .

25. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the mineral to polymer weight ratio in the surface composition is less than 30% of mineral to polymer weight ratio than in the body composition.

26. The implant of claim 25 , wherein the mineral to polymer weight ratio in the surface composition is less than 10% of mineral to polymer weight ratio than in the body composition.

27. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the surface layer comprises a surface composition with at least 10% higher polymer content than the body composition.

28. The implant of claim 27 , wherein the surface layer comprises a surface composition with at least 20% higher polymer content than the body composition.

29. The implant of claim 28 , wherein the surface layer comprises a surface composition with at least 30% higher polymer content than the body composition.

30. The implant of claim 29 , wherein the surface layer comprises a surface composition with at least 50% higher polymer content than the body composition.

31. An implant with a body composition of mineral and polymer with a surface comprising a different composition than the implant body, wherein 10-70% w/w of the body composition comprises mineral material, wherein said material comprises 1-15% w/w calcium, wherein the body comprises an interspersed composition of mineral and polymer, and a surface layer, wherein said surface layer comprises a surface composition of at least 10% of the surface that is of a different composition than the body composition and comprises less than 4% w/w silica; wherein the body comprises more than 8% w/w silica; wherein the calcium content of the surface is 50% w/w less than the calcium content of the body composition; and wherein the surface layer comprises a surface composition with at least 10%, higher polymer content than the body composition.