US2012143338A1PendingUtilityA1

Replacement or supplementation of a nucleus pulposus using a hydrogel

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Assignee: VRESILOVIC EDWARDPriority: May 21, 2004Filed: Jan 17, 2012Published: Jun 7, 2012
Est. expiryMay 21, 2024(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Edward VresilovicMichael F. KeaneAlastair J. T. ClemowNigel G. Smith
A61L 27/52A61L 27/00A61F 2/44A61F 2002/30242A61F 2002/3008A61F 2002/4627A61B 17/3472A61F 2002/4495A61F 2/4611A61F 2002/444A61F 2/442A61F 2230/0071A61F 2250/0098A61B 17/3468
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Claims

Abstract

A nucleus pulposus of an intervertebral disc is supplemented or replaced by a physiologically fully hydrated solid hydrogel intervertebral body comprising a polyvinyl alcohol copolymer, wherein the solid hydrogel intervertebral body exhibits an osmotic pressure of from 0.1 to 0.3 megapascals prior to insertion into a patient, the solid hydrogel intervertebral body having a ratio of length to principal transverse dimension not less than about 5:1.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A physiologically fully hydrated solid hydrogel intervertebral body comprising:
 a polyvinyl alcohol copolymer,   wherein the solid hydrogel intervertebral body exhibits an osmotic pressure of from 0.1 to 0.3 megapascals prior to insertion into a patient, and wherein the solid hydrogel intervertebral body has a ratio of length to principal transverse dimension not less than about 5:1.   
     
     
         2 . The solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 1 , wherein the body has a ratio of length to principal transverse dimension of about 350:1. 
     
     
         3 . The solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 1 , wherein the body has an elastic modulus between about 0.05 megapascals and about 4.0 megapascals. 
     
     
         4 . The solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 1 , wherein the body has a generally cylindrical shape. 
     
     
         5 . The solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 1 , wherein the body has at least one portion with a cross-sectional area greater than a principal cross-sectional area of said body. 
     
     
         5 . The solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 1 , wherein the body has at least one end provided with a terminal portion of transverse cross-sectional area greater than a principal cross-sectional area of said body. 
     
     
         6 . The solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 1 , wherein the body has at least one end provided with a flared terminal portion of transverse cross-sectional area greater than a principal cross-sectional area of said body. 
     
     
         7 . The solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 1 , wherein the body has at least one end provided with a generally spherical terminal portion of transverse cross-sectional area greater than a principal cross-sectional area of said body. 
     
     
         8 . The solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 1 , wherein the body has at least one portion between its ends with a transverse cross-sectional area greater than a principal cross-sectional area of said body. 
     
     
         9 . The solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises poly(vinylpyrrolidone). 
     
     
         10 . The solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a radiopaque material. 
     
     
         11 . The solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 10 , wherein the radiopaque material is barium sulfate. 
     
     
         12 . The solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 1 , wherein the body has a ratio of length to principal transverse dimension of about 40:1. 
     
     
         13 . The solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 1 , wherein the body has a ratio of length to principal transverse dimension of about 100:1. 
     
     
         14 . The solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 1 , wherein the body has a ratio of length to principal transverse dimension of about 200:1. 
     
     
         15 . The solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 1 , wherein the body has a generally cylindrical shape. 
     
     
         16 . A physiologically fully hydrated solid hydrogel intervertebral body comprising a polyvinyl alcohol copolymer, wherein the fully hydrated solid hydrogel intervertebral body is made by a process comprising the step of:
 contacting a hydrogel body comprising a polyvinyl alcohol copolymer with an aqueous isotonic solution for a period of time sufficient to achieve physiological full hydration,   wherein the solid hydrogel intervertebral body exhibits an osmotic pressure of from 0.1 to 0.3 megapascals prior to insertion into a patient, and wherein the solid hydrogel intervertebral body has a ratio of length to principal transverse dimension not less than about 5:1.   
     
     
         17 . The fully hydrated solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 16 , wherein the contacting step comprises immersing the hydrogel body in the aqueous isotonic solution. 
     
     
         18 . The fully hydrated solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 16 , wherein the aqueous isotonic solution has an osmotic pressure of about 0.2 megapascals. 
     
     
         19 . The fully hydrated solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 16 , wherein the aqueous isotonic solution further comprises a polymer. 
     
     
         20 . The fully hydrated solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 19 , wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(ethylene glycol), dextran, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The fully hydrated solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 20 , wherein the polymer is dextran. 
     
     
         22 . The fully hydrated solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 16 , wherein the body has a ratio of length to principal transverse dimension of about 350:1. 
     
     
         23 . The fully hydrated solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 16 , wherein the body has an elastic modulus between about 0.05 megapascals and about 4.0 megapascals. 
     
     
         24 . The fully hydrated solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 16 , wherein the body has a generally cylindrical shape. 
     
     
         25 . The fully hydrated solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 16 , wherein the body further comprises poly(vinylpyrrolidone). 
     
     
         26 . The fully hydrated solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 16 , wherein the body comprises a radiopaque material. 
     
     
         27 . The fully hydrated solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 26 , wherein the radiopaque material is barium sulfate. 
     
     
         28 . The fully hydrated solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 16 , wherein the body has a ratio of length to principal transverse dimension of about 40:1. 
     
     
         29 . The fully hydrated solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 16 , wherein the body has a ratio of length to principal transverse dimension of about 100:1. 
     
     
         30 . The fully hydrated solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 16 , wherein the body has a ratio of length to principal transverse dimension of about 200:1. 
     
     
         31 . The fully hydrated solid hydrogel intervertebral body of  claim 16 , wherein the body is isotonic with respect to surrounding physiological fluid prior to implantation within the physiological fluid.

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