Prosthetic device for cartilage repair

1. A triphasic prosthetic device for repairing or replacing cartilage or cartilage like-tissue ( 1 ) comprising:

a polymeric hollow body component ( 3 ) with a number of highly oriented hollow bodies;

a base component ( 4 ) comprising a bone substitute material that is a synthetic ceramic to anchor said polymeric hollow body component ( 3 ) in or onto an osteochondral environment; and

at least one superficial layer comprising randomly oriented fibres ( 2 ) provided on said polymeric hollow body component ( 3 )

wherein more than 50% of said number of highly oriented hollow bodies of the polymeric hollow body component ( 3 ) are aligned essentially parallel to the insertion axis of the prosthetic device ( 1 ).

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein more then 90% of said hollow bodies are aligned perpendicular to the plane of the articulating surface.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein an inner channel diameter of the hollow bodies of polymeric hollow body component ( 3 ) is in a range of 500 nm to 500 μm.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the inner channels have a wall thickness ranging between 1 nm and 500 μm.

5. The device according to claim 4 , wherein the wall thickness is between 100 nm and 250 μm.

6. The device according to claim 3 , wherein said inner channel diameter is in a range of 5 μm to 150 μm.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the polymeric hollow body component ( 3 ) is formed by an assembly of oriented tubes.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein a space between the assembled tubes is empty or filled with a substance selected from the group consisting of synthetic polymers, natural polymers, biologically engineered polymers, molecules thereof, biomacromolecules and any combination thereof.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the hollow body component is a solid block of polymer with channels.

10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the channels are formed by at least one of mechanical, physical and chemical methods in a solid polymer.

11. The device according to claim 10 , wherein said solid polymer is porous.

12. The device according to claim 1 , wherein lateral distribution of the hollow bodies of component ( 3 ) is homogenous, random or in a specific pattern.

13. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said hollow bodies of the hollow body component ( 3 ) have a height of 50 μm to 10 mm.

14. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the height is between 100 μm and 2 mm.

15. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said synthetic ceramic comprises at least one of calcium phosphate, calcium sulfate and calcium carbonate.

16. The device according to claim 15 , wherein said calcium phosphate is selected from the group consisting of dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (CaHPO 4 x2H 2 O), dicalcium phosphate (CaHPO 4 ), alpha-tricalcium phosphate (alpha-Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 ), beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 ), calcium deficient hydroxyl apatite (Ca 9 (PO 4 ) 5 (HPO 4 )OH), hydroxyl apatite (Ca 9 (PO 4 ) 6 OH 2 ), carbonated apatite (Ca 10 (PO 4 ) 3 (CO 3 ) 3 )(OH) 2 ) fluoroapatite (Ca 10 (PO 4 ) 6 (F,OH) 2 ) chloroapatite (Ca 10 (PO 4 ) 6 (Cl, OH) 2 ), whitlockite ((Ca,Mg) 3 (PO 4 ) 2 ), tetracalcium phosphate (Ca 4 (PO 4 ) 2 O), oxyapatite (Ca 10 (PO 4 ) 6 O), beta-calcium pyrophosphate (beta-Ca 2 (P 2 O 7 ), alpha-calcium pyrophosphate, gamma-calcium pyrophosphate, octacalcium phosphate (Ca 8 H 2 (PO 4 ) 6 x5H 2 O) and mixtures thereof.

17. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said synthetic ceramic comprises at least one of metallic, semimetallic components and non-metallic components, preferably magnesium, silicon, sodium, potassium, strontium and lithium.

18. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the material is a composite material comprising at least two different components.

19. The device according to claim 1 , wherein more than 95% of said hollow bodies are aligned perpendicular to the plane of the articulating surface.

20. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the shape of the base component ( 4 ) is round cylindrical or conical.

21. The device according to claim 20 , wherein the diameter of the base component ( 4 ) ranges between 4 and 20 mm, with a height being 1 to 30 mm.

22. The device according to claim 21 , wherein the diameter of the base component ( 4 ) ranges between 4 and 20 mm, with a height being between 1 to 10 mm.

23. The device according to claim 22 , wherein said superficial layer ( 2 ) is missing, or formed by uppermost end of the hollow body component.

24. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said superficial layer ( 2 ) has a thickness of 1 nm to 5 mm.

25. The device according to claim 24 , wherein said thickness is in the range of 10 μm to 2 mm.

26. The device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the randomly oriented fibers ( 2 ), the polymeric hollow body component ( 3 ) and the base component ( 4 ) has a liquid absorbing capacity in a range of 0.1% to 99.9%.

27. The device according to claim 26 , wherein said liquid absorbing capacity is in a range of 20.0 to 95.0%.

28. The device according to claim 26 , wherein the liquid is at least one of an aqueous media and a body fluid.

29. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the polymeric hollow body component is cross-linked.

30. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one externally added component.

31. The device according to claim 30 , wherein said externally added components are cells of different origin.

32. The device according to claim 31 , wherein said cells are at least one of autologous cells, allogenous cells, xenogenous cells, transfected cells and genetically engineered cells.

33. The device according to claim 30 , wherein chondrocytes, chondral progenitor cells, pluripotent cells, tutipotent cells or combinations thereof are present throughout at least one of the randomly oriented fibers ( 2 ) and the polymeric hollow body component ( 3 ).

34. The device according to claim 30 , wherein osteoplasts, osteo-progenitor cells, pluripotent stem cells, tutipotent stem cells or combinations thereof are present throughout the base component ( 4 ).

35. The device according to claim 30 , wherein blood or any fraction thereof is present throughout the base component ( 4 ).

36. The device according to claim 30 , wherein pharmaceutical compounds are contained.

37. A device according to claim 1 , wherein a cell barrier layer is additionally provided between said polymeric hollow body component ( 3 ) and said base component ( 4 ).

38. A device according to claim 37 , wherein the cell barrier layer is a cell selective barrier layer.

39. A use of the device according to claim 1 for implantation in articulating joints in humans and animals.

40. The use according to claim 39 for regeneration of articulator cartilagenous tissue.