Method for producing a product having a polymer matrix, implants made thereof and use thereof

1. A method of producing a product having a polymer matrix comprising the steps of:

a) mixing a biodegradable polymer in powder form with an aqueous solution of a bone growth factor of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) class to form a slurry in such an amount that the aqueous solution is almost completely absorbed by the polymer in powder form,

wherein the slurry comprises no supernatant liquid;

wherein the biodegradable polymer has a particle size of less than or equal to 500 μm, and is selected from the group consisting of polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, and copolymers thereof;

wherein the aqueous solution has a concentration of 0.5 mg to 10 mg of bone growth factor per gram of biodegradable polymer in the product and wherein the pH-value of the aqueous solution is 4 to 5 or 9.5 to 10.5;

b) drying the slurry obtained in step a);

c) introducing the product from step b) into a shaping apparatus; and

d) shaping the product introduced into the shaping apparatus into an application form for promoting cell growth, wherein the dried slurry is introduced into an autoclave as the shaping apparatus, subjected in the autoclave to pressure gassing with supercritical carbon dioxide above the glass transition temperature of the biodegradable polymer and below the decomposition temperature of the bone growth factor, and removed from the pressure-relieved autoclave as a product in foam form.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a cytostatic agent, an antibiotic or a mixture thereof is additionally used in step a).

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the bone growth factor is BMP-2.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the biodegradable polymer in powder form additionally contains a pH-stabilisation agent.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein 1 to 3.5 milliliters of the aqueous solution is used for one gram of the polymer.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the slurry produced in step a) is lyophilised.

7. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the bone growth factor is BMP-2.

8. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the biodegradable polymer in powder form additionally contains a pH-stabilisation agent.

9. The method according to claim 2 , wherein 1 to 3.5 milliliters of the aqueous solution is used for one gram of the polymer.

10. The method according to claim 5 , wherein 1.5 to 2.5 milliliters of the aqueous solution is used for one gram of the polymer.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein 1.5 to 2.5 milliliters of the aqueous solution is used for one gram of the polymer.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the bone growth factor comprises BMP-2 and the biodegradable polymer comprises poly(D,L-lactide) and a CaCO 3 pH-stabilization agent.

13. A method of producing a product having a polymer matrix, comprising:

mixing 1) a biodegradable polylactic polymer in powder form having a particle size of less than or equal to 500 μm, and a pH-stabilization agent with 2) an aqueous solution comprising a bone growth factor of the bone morphogenetic protein class to form a slurry in which the aqueous solution is almost completely absorbed by the polylactic polymer, thereby forming a moist powder,

wherein 1 to 3.5 milliliters of aqueous solution is used for 1 gram of the biodegradable polylactic polymer, and wherein the pH-value of the aqueous solution is 4 to 5 or 9.5 to 10.5;

drying the slurry;

introducing the dried slurry into an autoclave and subjecting the dried slurry to a pressure of 100 bars of supercritical carbon dioxide at a temperature of about 35-55° C. for about 2 hours;

reducing the pressure to ambient pressure; and

removing product in foam form from the autoclave.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the biodegradable polymer has a particle size of 200 to 400 μm.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the product comprises 0.5 mg to 10 mg of bone growth factor per gram of biodegradable polymer.

16. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the bone growth factor comprises BMP-2 and the biodegradable polymer comprises poly(D,L-lactide) and a CaCO 3 pH-stabilization agent.

17. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising shaping the product into an application form, wherein the application form has an initial burst phase with a half-life of bone morphogenetic protein of about 0.3 to 0.5 days and a second liberation phase with a half-life of bone morphogenetic protein of about 400 to 469 days.

18. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the slurry comprises no supernatant liquid.