Depuy Synthes Products, Inc.

Synthes Gmbh

Christian Brunner

Cyril Voisard

Robert Frigg

Reto Nardini

Dieter Schmidli

Stefan Saladin

Jens Richter

Adrian Baumgartner

Nico Stohler

An implant includes a section made of polymer, wherein at least a portion of the section has a layer of a polymerizable and/or cross-linkable material. A method for fixation of a bone plate having several plate holes using the implant includes removing a cover sheet protecting the layer of polymerizable and/or cross-linkable material, activating the layer of polymerizable and/or cross-linkable material with electromagnetic energy or with moisture, introducing the implant into one of the plate holes of the bone plate when the bone plate is positioned on a bone, pressing on an end of the implant in order to contact the activated layer of polymerizable and/or cross-linkable material with the bone underneath the bone plate, and allowing the activated and pressurized layer of polymerizable and/or cross-linkable material to polymerize and/or cross-link and to adhere to the bone.

Method of securing an implant

A method of bone fixation comprises the steps of implanting at least one first fixation element into a respective first anatomical body such that a portion of the first fixation element extends out from an exterior surface of the first anatomical body, and implanting at least one second fixation element into a respective second anatomical body that is adjacent the first anatomical body, such that a portion of the second fixation element extends out from an exterior surface of the second anatomical body. A hardenable material is applied to the portion of each of the fixation elements that extends out from the exterior surface of the respective anatomical body when the hardenable material is in an unhardened state. The hardenable material is hardened such that the hardenable material forms a hardened construct together with the bone fixation elements that bridges the anatomical bodies.

Method of fixating two or more anatomical bodies

Implant

An implant system includes a fixation device that, in turn can include an expandable implant alone or in combination with an auxiliary implant. The expandable implant includes an expandable implant body that is made from an expandable material. The expandable material includes a polymer matrix and an expandable gas source contained within at least a portion of the polymer matrix. The implant system can further include an energy source configured to heat the polymer matrix to a temperature above its glass transition temperature, thereby causing the gas source to expand inside the polymer matrix. The fixation device can further include an insertion instrument configured to implant the fixation device into an anatomical cavity.

Expandable implant

Growing community of inventors

Bern, Switzerland

Christian Brunner