Fiber reinforced biocomposite medical implants with high mineral content

1. A medical implant comprising a biocomposite, said biocomposite comprising a polymer and a plurality of reinforcement mineral fibers, wherein a weight percentage of a mineral composition within the biocomposite medical implant is in a range of 40-65%, wherein an average diameter of said fibers is in a range of 3-30 microns; wherein the reinforcing fibers are fiber segments with an average fiber segment length in the range of 0.5-20 mm; wherein a residual monomer content in the implant following production is less than 3%; wherein the mineral composition is provided by a reinforcing mineral fiber made from the mineral composition.

2. The implant of claim 1 , wherein said implant comprises a silica-based mineral compound and wherein said silica-based mineral compound has at least one oxide composition in at least one of the following mol. % ranges:

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. %

SiO 2 : 67-73 mol. %.

3. The implant of claim 2 , wherein said silica-based mineral compound has at least one oxide composition in at least one of the following mol. % ranges:

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. %

SiO 2 : 67-73 mol. %.

4. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the diameter of a majority of reinforcing fibers is in the range of 5-20 μm.

5. The implant of claim 4 , wherein the diameter is in the range of 4-16 μm.

6. The implant of claim 5 , wherein the diameter is in the range of 9-14 μm.

7. The implant of claim 1 , wherein said biocomposite comprises mineral fibers are embedded in a polymer matrix; wherein said polymer comprises lactide, glycolide, caprolactone, valerolactone, carbonates, dioxanones, δ-valerolactone, 1,dioxepanones, ethylene glycol, ethylene oxide, esteramides, γ-ydroxyvalerate, β-hydroxypropionate, alpha-hydroxy acid, hydroxybuterates, poly (ortho esters), hydroxy alkanoates, tyrosine carbonates, polyimide carbonates, polyimino carbonates, poly (bisphenol A-iminocarbonate) and poly (hydroquinone-iminocarbonate), 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, lactide/tetramethylglycolide copolymers, lactide/trimethylene carbonate copolymers, lactide/d-valerolactone copolymers, lactide/c-caprolactone copolymers, L-lactide/DL-lactide copolymers, glycolide/L-lactide copolymers (PGA/PLLA), polylactide-co-glycolide; terpolymers of PLA,lactide/glycolide/trimethylene carbonate terpolymers, lactide/glycolide/ε-caprolactone terpolymers, PLA/polyethylene oxide copolymers; polydepsipeptides; unsymmetrically-3,6-substituted poly-1,4-dioxane-2,5-diones; polyhydroxyalkanoates; polyhydroxybutyrates)PHB); 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.

8. The implant of claim 7 , wherein said polymer is selected from the group consisting of PLLA, PDLA, PGA, PLGA, PCL, PLLA-PCL and a combination thereof.

9. The implant of claim 8 , wherein said PLLA is used in said polymer matrix and said matrix comprises at least 30%, 50% or 70% PLLA; and/or wherein said PDLA is used in said polymer matrix and said matrix comprises at least 5%, 10% or 20% PDLA.

10. The implant of claim 9 , wherein said matrix comprises at least 20% PDLA.

11. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the implant comprises a plurality of layers, each layer has a directional fiber orientation, and wherein said fiber orientation alternates between adjacent layers such that each adjacent layer is of a different angle, wherein said angle difference between layers is between 15 to 75 degrees.

12. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the implant has a flexural modulus exceeding 12 GPa and a flexural strength exceeding 180 MPa after 5 days of simulated physiological degradation.

13. The implant of claim 1 , wherein said implant has a strength retention of Elastic Modulus above 10 GPa after 8 weeks implantation and a flexural strength above 150 MPa after 8 weeks implantation.

14. The implant of claim 1 , wherein a moisture content of implant following production is less than 1%.

15. The implant of claim 14 , wherein said moisture content is less than 0.4%.

16. The implant of claim 15 , wherein said moisture content is less than 0.2%.

17. The implant of claim 1 , wherein said residual monomer content is less than 2%.

18. The implant of claim 17 , wherein said residual monomer content is less than 1%.

19. The implant of claim 1 wherein the implant is selected from the groups including bone fixation plates, intramedullary nails, joint implants, spine implants, and other devices for fracture fixation, tendon reattachment, spinal fixation, and spinal cage fixation.

20. The implant of claim 19 , adapted to a threaded implant.

21. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the average fiber segment length is in the range of 1-15 mm.

22. The implant of claim 21 , wherein the length is in the range of 3-10 mm.

23. The implant of claim 22 , wherein the length is in the range of 4-8 mm.