Bioactive implant for reconstruction of bone defect, deformity, and nonunion

Abstract

A bioactive orthopedic implant is provided defined as a rod with a surface and a treated surface area for increased surface area, a freeze-dried hydrophilic hydrogel network physically cross-linked via charged polymers and salt-ions onto the treated surface area, biologies trapped and thereby hosted within the hydrogel network, and covalently reactive macromonomers chemically cross-linked within the hydrogel network to strengthen the hydrogel network itself and to the rod. The surface area of the bioactive orthopedic implant can be coated with covalently linkable molecules which are chemical cross-linked with the covalently reactive macromonomers to increase adhesion of the chemically and physically cross-linked hydrophilic hydrogel network to the rod. The rod can be an interconnected porous rod and where the biologies is hosted with pores of the interconnected porous rod. The bioactive orthopedic implant can be sized for implantation in between two bone segments, a bone tunnel, or a fracture.