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

1. An orthopedic fixation implant comprising absorbable structural material, wherein strength and stiffness properties are anisotropic; the absorbable structural material comprising a reinforcement filler, wherein said absorbable structural material further comprises a biodegradable polymer; wherein an average density of the absorbable structural material is in a range of 1.3-3.0 g/cm 3 ; wherein said reinforcing filler comprises a plurality of reinforcing fibers and wherein a weight ratio of reinforcing fibers to said biodegradable polymer is in the range of 1:1 to 1:3; and wherein a percentage of reinforcing fibers is in the range of 40% to 50% weight per weight; wherein a plurality of said reinforcement fibers are arranged in parallel to a longitudinal axis of the implant.

2. 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.

3. The implant of claim 1 , having improved mechanical properties in at least one mechanical axis or parameter as compared with at least one other mechanical axis or parameter within the same implant, such that the implant is anisotropic; wherein said mechanical parameter comprises one or more of bending strength and stiffness (resistance to bending force), tensile strength and stiffness (resistance to tensile force), compression strength and stiffness (resistance to compression force), shearing strength and stiffness (resistance to shearing force), or torsional strength and stiffness (resistance to torsional force); where in 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.

4. The implant of claim 1 , wherein said biodegradable polymer comprises a homopolymer or a copolymer; wherein said copolymer comprises a random copolymer, block copolymer, or graft copolymer; and wherein said biodegradable polymer comprises a linear polymer, a branched polymer, or a dendrimer, of natural or synthetic origin;

wherein said biodegradable polymer comprises lactide, glycolide, caprolactone, valerolactone, carbonates (e.g., trimethylene carbonate, tetramethylene carbonate), dioxanones (e.g., 1,4-dioxanone), δ-valerolactone, 1, dioxepanones (e.g., 1,4-dioxepan-2-one and 1,5-dioxepan-2-one), ethylene glycol, ethylene oxide, esteramides, y-hydroxyvalerate, β-hydroxypropionate, alpha-hydroxy acid, hydroxybutyrates, poly (ortho esters), hydroxy alkanoates, tyrosine carbonates, polyimide carbonates, polyimino carbonates, such as poly (bisphenol A-iminocarbonate) and poly (hydroquinone-iminocarbonate), polyurethanes, polyanhydrides, polymer drugs (e.g., polydiflunisol, poly aspirin, and protein therapeutics), 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, such as lactide/tetramethylglycolide copolymers, lactide/trimethylene carbonate copolymers, lactide/d-valerolactone copolymers, lactide/ε-caprolactone copolymers, L-lactide/DL-lactide copolymers, glycolide/L-lactide copolymers (PGA/PLLA), polylactide-co-glycolide; terpolymers of PLA, such as 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, such as 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-alkanoic acids;

polycarbonates; polyorthoesters; polyphosphates; poly(ester anhydrides); and derivatives, copolymers and mixtures thereof.

5. 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, PGA (poly-glycolic acid), PLGA (poly-lactide-glycolic acid), PCL (polycaprolactone), PLLA-PCL and a combination thereof.

6. The implant of claim 5 , wherein an inherent viscosity (IV) of the polymer matrix alone is in the range of 0.2-6 dl/g, 1.0 to 3.0 dl/g, 1.5 to 2.4 dl/g, or 1.6 to 2.0 dl/g, wherein IV is measured according to a flow time of a polymer solution through a narrow capillary relative to the flow time of a pure solvent through the capillary.

7. The implant of claim 1 , wherein if PLLA is used, the matrix comprises at least 30% 50%, or at least 70% PLLA; or wherein if PDLA is used, the matrix comprises at least 5%, at least 10%, or at least 20% PDLA.

8. The implant of claim 1 , wherein said weight ratio is in a range of 0.75:1 to 1.25:1.

9. The implant of claim 8 , wherein said fibers comprise one or more of a biodegradable glass or glass-like materials, a ceramic, a mineral composition (optionally including one or more of hydroxyapatite, tricalcium phosphate, calcium sulfate, calcium phosphate), a cellulosic material, a nano-diamond, or any other filler known in the art to increase the mechanical properties of a bioabsorbable polymer, or wherein said fiber comprises a bioabsorbable glass, ceramic, or mineral composition.

10. The implant of claim 9 , wherein said biodegradable glass has oxide compositions in the following mol. % ranges (as a percent over the glass fiber composition):

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. %.

11. The implant of claim 10 where said ranges are the following mol. % ranges:

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. %,

SiO 2 : 68-70 mol. %.

12. The implant of claim 1 , wherein an average fiber diameter is between 5 and 50 um.

13. The implant of claim 12 , wherein a tensile strength of the reinforcement fiber is in the range of 1200-2800 MPa, or wherein an elastic modulus of the reinforcement fiber is in the range of 30-100 GPa, or a combination thereof.

14. The implant of claim 1 wherein at least 50% of elastic modulus is retained following exposure to simulated body fluid (SBF) at 50 C for 3 days, or at least 70% is retained, and even at least 80% is retained.

15. The implant of claim 1 wherein implant is an orthopedic implant and is selected from the groups including bone fixation plates, intramedullary nails, joint (hip, knee, elbow) implants, spine implants, screws, pins, wires, soft tissue anchors and other devices for such applications such as for fracture fixation, tendon reattachment, spinal fixation, and spinal cages.

16. The implant of claim 1 wherein a reinforcing fiber diameter is in a range of 2-40 um, 8-20 um, or 12-18 um (microns).

17. The implant of claim 1 , wherein the orthopedic fixation implant is a pin, plate, screw, nail, fiber, sheet, rod, staple, clip, needle, tube, anchor, cable, tie, or wire tie.

18. The implant of claim 17 , wherein the implant is a pin, screw, plate, nail, rod, staple, or wire.