Surgical cements

Claim 2

A surgical cement consisting essentially of a bone substitute and a water soluble, polyfunctional carboxylic acid, said acid containing 2 to 10 carbon atoms and being present in an amount of about 25 to 100 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of said bone substitute.

Claim 3

The surgical cement of claim 1 wherein said acid contains 2 to 4 carboxyl groups.

Claim 4

The surgical cement of claim 2 wherein said polyfunctional carboxylic acid contains 2 to 6 carbon atoms.

Claim 5

The bone cement of claim 1 wherein said bone substitute is resorbable.

Claim 6

The bone cement composition of claim 1 wherein said bone substitute is non-resorbable.

Claim 7

The bone cement composition of claim 1 wherein said bone substitute is beta-tricalcium phosphate.

Claim 8

The bone cement composition of claim 1 wherein said bone substitute is hydroxyapatite.

Claim 9

The bone cement composition of claim 1 wherein said bone substitute is milled freeze dried bone.

Claim 10

The bone cement composition of claim 1 wherein said bone substitute is a synthetic calcium-containing material selected from the group consisting of calcium aluminates, calcium phosphates and alumino-calcium oxidephosphorous pentoxide ceramics.

Claim 11

The bone cement composition of claim 1 wherein said polyfunctional carboxylic acid exhibits a pK less than 5.61 and greater than 3.08.

Claim 12

The bone cement composition of claim 1 wherein said polyfunctional carboxylic acid is an acid on the Kreb's cycle.

Claim 13

The bone cement composition of claim 11 wherein said polyfunctional carboxylic acid includes α-ketoglutaric acid.

Claim 14

The bone cement composition of claim 1 wherein said polyfunctional carboxylic acid includes fumaric acid.

Claim 15

The bone cement composition of claim 1 wherein said polyfunctional carboxylic acid includes malic acid.

Claim 16

The bone cement composition of claim 12 wherein said polyfunctional carboxylic acid is a combination of citric acid and α-ketoglutaric acid.

Claim 17

The bone cement composition of claim 1 further including a calcium salt.

Claim 18

The surgical cement composition of claim 1 further including a reinforcing fiber.

Claim 19

The surgical cement composition of claim 1 wherein said bone substitute has a particle size less than 400 mesh.

Claim 20

A surgical cement consisting essentially of 100 parts by weight of a bone substitute, 25 to 100 parts by weight of a water soluble polyfunctional carboxylic acid having to 10 carbon atoms, and up to 10 parts by weight of a polymeric material, said bone substitute being a resorbable or non-resorbable material selected from the group consisting of beta-tricalcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, milled freeze dried bone, calcium aluminate, calcium phosphate and alumino-calcium oxide-phosphorous pentoxide ceramic, and said polyfunctional carboxylic acid contains 2 to 6 carbon atoms and 2 to 4 carboxyl groups and exhibits a pK less than 5.61 and greater than 3.08.

Claim 21

A surgical cement consisting essentially of 100 parts by weight of a bone substitute, 25 to 100 parts by weight of a water soluble polyfunctional carboxylic acid having to 10 carbon atoms, and up to 10 parts by weight of a polymeric material, said bone substitute being a resorbable or non-resorbable material selected from the group consisting of beta-tricalcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, milled freeze dried bone, calcium aluminate, calcium phosphate and alumino-calcium oxide-phosphorous pentoxide ceramic, and said polyfunctional carboxylic acid contains 2 to 6 carbon atoms and 2 to 4 carboxyl groups and exhibits a pK less than 5.61 and greater than 3.08.

Claim 22

The surgical cement of claim 19 wherein said polyfunctional carboxylic acid is α-ketoglutaric acid.

Claim 23

A surgical cement consisting essentially of 100 parts by weight of a bone substitute, 25 to 100 parts by weight of a water soluble polyfunctional carboxylic acid having up to 10 carbon atoms, and up to 10 parts by weight of a polymeric material, said bone substitute being a resorbable or non-resorbable material selected from the group consisting of beta-tricalcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, milled freeze dried bone, calcium aluminate, calcium phosphate and alumino-calcium oxide-phosphorous pentoxide ceramic, and said polyfunctional carboxylic acid containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms and 2 to 4 carboxyl groups and exhibiting a pK less than 5.61 and greater than 3.08 and said polymeric material being selected from the group consisting of polylactic acid, polyacrylic acid and polymethacrylic acid.

Claim 24

A surgical cement consisting essentially of 100 parts by weight of a bone substitute, 25 to 100 parts by weight of a water soluble polyfunctional carboxylic acid having up to 10 carbon atoms, and up to 10 parts by weight of a polymeric material, said bone substitute being a resorbable or non-resorbable material selected from the group consisting of beta-tricalcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, milled freeze dried bone, calcium aluminate, calcium phosphate and alumino-calcium oxide-phosphorous pentoxide ceramic, and said polyfunctional carboxylic acid containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms and 2 to 4 carboxyl groups and exhibiting a pK less than 5.61 and greater than 3.08 and said polymeric material being selected from the group consisting of polylactic acid, polyacrylic acid and polymethacrylic acid.