Prosthetic device for cartilage repair

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

at least one layer consisting of at least partially oriented fibers ( 2 ),

a base component ( 4 ) to anchor said at least one layer consisting of at least partially oriented fibers ( 2 ) in subchondral environment, and

a stabilization area ( 3 ) provided between said at least one layer consisting of at least partially oriented fibers ( 2 ) and said base component ( 4 ),

wherein said at least partially oriented fibers ( 2 ) are aligned essentially in parallel to the insertion axis of the prosthetic device that is in a direction perpendicular to a top surface of said base component and the at least one layer consisting of at least partially oriented fibers ( 2 ) form a brush-like structure,

wherein more than 50% of said at least partially oriented fibers are aligned essentially in parallel to the insertion axis of the device.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the material of the at least partially oriented fibers ( 2 ) includes a mineral material, synthetic polymers or molecules, natural polymers or molecules, biotechnologically derived polymers or molecules, biomacromolecules, or any combination thereof.

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the diameter of the at least partially oriented fibers ( 2 ) is in a range of 50 nm to 1 mm.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein said fiber diameter is in a range of 1 μm to 250 μm.

5. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the at least partially oriented fibers ( 2 ) have a liquid absorbing capacity in a range of 0.1% to 99.9%.

6. The device according to claim 5 , wherein said liquid absorbing capacity is in a range of 20.0% to 99.0%.

7. The device according to claim 5 , wherein the liquid is an aqueous solution and/or body fluids.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the base component ( 4 ) comprises a material used as a bone substitute.

9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein said bone substitute is a mineral material, synthetic polymers or molecules, natural polymers or molecules, biotechnologically derived polymers or molecules, biomacromolecules, or any combination thereof.

10. The device according to claim 8 , wherein said material is a synthetic ceramic containing at least one of the following components: calcium phosphate, calcium sulfate, calcium carbonate, or any mixture thereof.

11. The device according to claim 10 , wherein said calcium phosphate contains at least one of the following components: di-calciumphosphatedihydrate (CaHP0.sub.4.times.2H.sub.20), dicalciumphosphate (CaHP0.sub.4), alpha-tricalciumphosphate (alpha-Ca.sub.3(P0.sub.4).sub.2), beta-tricalciumphosphate (betaCa.sub.3(P0.sub.4).sub.2), calcium deficient hydroxylapatite (Ca.sub.9(P0.sub.4).sub.5(HP0.sub.4)OH), hydroxylapatite (Ca.sub.10(P0.sub.4).sub.6OH.sub.2), carbonated apatite (Ca.sub.10(P0.sub.4).sub.3(C0.sub.3).sub.3) (OH).sub.2) fluorapatite (Ca.sub.10(P0.sub.4).sub.6(F,OH).sub.2), chlorapatite (Ca.sub.10(P0.sub.4).sub.6(Cl,OH).sub.2), whitlockite ((Ca,Mg).sub.3(P0.sub.4).sub.2), tetracalciumphosphate (Ca.sub.4(P0.sub.4).sub.20), oxyapatite (Ca.sub.10(P0.sub.4).sub.60), beta-calciumpyrophosphate (beta-Ca.sub.2(P.sub.20.sub.7), alpha-calciumpyrophosphate, gamma-calcium-pyrophosphate, octacalciumphosphate (Ca.sub.8H.sub.2 (P0.sub.4).sub.6.times.5H.sub.20).

12. The device according to claim 8 , wherein said material is a synthetic ceramic containing metallic, semimetallic ions, and/or non-metallic ions, preferably magnesium, silicon, sodium, potassium, and/or lithium.

13. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the material is a composite material comprising at least a polymer component and a mineral phase.

14. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the bone substitute material is highly porous with interconnecting pores.

15. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the shape of the base component ( 4 ) is round, cylindrical, or conical.

16. The device according to claim 15 , wherein the diameter of the base component ( 4 ) ranges between 2 and 30 mm, with a height being 1 to 30 mm.

17. The device according to claim 15 , wherein the diameter of the base component ( 4 ) ranges between 4 and 20 mm, with a preferred height being between 1 to 6 mm.

18. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said stabilization area ( 3 ) is a zone comprising at least one layer.

19. The device according to claim 18 , wherein said zone has a thickness of 1 nm to 1 mm.

20. The device according to claim 18 , wherein said zone is porous.

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

22. The device according to claim 21 , wherein said component is cells of different origin.

23. The device according to claim 22 , wherein said cells are autologous cells, allogenous cells, xenogenous cells, transfected cells and/or genetically engineered cells.

24. The device according to claim 21 , wherein chondrocytes, chondral progenitor cells, pluripotent cells, tutipotent cells or combinations thereof are present throughout the fiber layer(s) ( 2 ).

25. The device according to claim 21 , wherein osteoplasts, osteo progenitor cells, pluripotent cells, tutipotent cells or combinations thereof are present throughout the base component ( 4 ).

26. The device according to claim 21 , wherein blood or any fraction thereof is present throughout the base component ( 4 ).

27. The device according to claim 21 , wherein pharmaceutical compounds are contained.

28. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is adapted to be implanted in articulating joints in humans and animals.

29. The device according to claim 28 wherein the device regenerates articulator cartilagenous tissue.

30. The device according to claim 1 , wherein more than 90% of said at least partially oriented fibers ( 2 ) are aligned essentially in parallel to the insertion axis of the device that is in a direction perpendicular to a top surface of said base component.

31. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the stabilization area ( 3 ) is an absolute or selective cell barrier layer for preventing cells and blood from diffusing from the base component ( 4 ) into the brush-like fiber structure.

32. The device according to claim 5 , wherein the at least partially oriented fibers ( 2 ) are designed to form a gel or transform to a gel-like state when absorbing liquid.