Surgical prosthesis

Claim 2

A bone fixation device comprising an absorbable polymer matrix, said matrix obtained from the polymerization of 1-lactide, and a reinforcement material being a filler in a particulate, non-fiber form being suspended throughout the matrix and being selected from the group consisting of tricalcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, and a mixture thereof.

Claim 3

A device of claim 1 wherein the particulate filler is hydroxyapatite.

Claim 4

A semi-absorbable bone fixation device comprising an absorbable polymer, said polymer obtained from the polymerization of 1-lactide, and a nonabsorbable reinforcement material providing increased structural integrity to said bone fixation device and being manufactured from a plurality of fibers selected from the group consisting of alumina, poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide), polyethylene terephthalate and ultra high modulus polyethylene.

Claim 5

A semi-absorbable bone fixation device comprising an absorbable polymer, said polymer obtained from the polymerization of 1-lactide, and a nonabsorbable reinforcement material providing increased structural integrity to said bone fixation device and being manufactured from a plurality of fibers selected from the group consisting of alumina, poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide), polyethylene terephthalate and ultra high modulus polyethylene.

Claim 6

A device of claim 3 wherein the fiber is poly (p-phenylene terephthalamide).

Claim 7

A device of claim 3 wherein the fiber is polyethylene terephthalate.

Claim 8

A device of claim 3 wherein the fiber is alumina.

Claim 9

A device of claim 6 wherein the fiber is alpha alumina.

Claim 10

A semi-absorbable bone fixation device comprising an absorbable polymer, said polymer obtained from the polymerization of dl-lactide, and a non-absorbable reinforcement material manufactured from a plurality of ultra high modulus polyethylene fibers to increase the structural integrity of the bone fixation device, said device having a flexural strength of about 10,000 to 25,000 psi, and a flexural modulus of about 1×10 6 to 5×10 6 psi.

Claim 11

A semi-absorbable bone fixation device comprising an absorbable polymer, said polymer obtained from the polymerization of dl-lactide, and a non-absorbable reinforcement material manufactured from a plurality of ultra high modulus polyethylene fibers to increase the structural integrity of the bone fixation device, said device having a flexural strength of about 10,000 to 25,000 psi, and a flexural modulus of about 1×10 6 to 5×10 6 psi.

Claim 12

A semi-absorbable laminated bone fixation device comprising an impregnating agent consisting of an absorbable polymer matrix, said matrix obtained from the polymerization of 1-lactide and having an inherent viscosity of about 1.5 to 3.5 dl/g (0.5 g/dl in CHCl 3 ), and a nonabsorbable reinforcement material to provide increased structural integrity to the bone fixation device consisting essentially of at least one alumina fiber such that the bone fixation device has a matrix with sufficiently high molecular weight to provide the desired strength retention time and sufficiently low molecular weight to provide adequate strength and modulus, said device having a flexural strength of about 10,000 to 25,000 psi; a flexural modulus of about 1×10 6 to 5×10 6 psi; a loss of about 30% of its initial flexural strength during 3 months in vivo and 60% during 6 months in vivo; and a loss of about 25% of its initial flexural modulus during 3 months in vivo and 45% during 6 months in vivo.

Claim 13

A semi-absorbable laminated bone fixation device comprising an impregnating agent consisting of an absorbable polymer matrix, said matrix obtained from the polymerization of 1-lactide and having an inherent viscosity of about 1.5 to 3.5 dl/g (0.5 g/dl in CHCl 3 ), and a nonabsorbable reinforcement material to provide increased structural integrity to the bone fixation device consisting essentially of at least one alumina fiber such that the bone fixation device has a matrix with sufficiently high molecular weight to provide the desired strength retention time and sufficiently low molecular weight to provide adequate strength and modulus, said device having a flexural strength of about 10,000 to 25,000 psi; a flexural modulus of about 1×10 6 to 5×10 6 psi; a loss of about 30% of its initial flexural strength during 3 months in vivo and 60% during 6 months in vivo; and a loss of about 25% of its initial flexural modulus during 3 months in vivo and 45% during 6 months in vivo.

Claim 14

A device of claim 9 wherein said reinforcement material is a plurality of alpha alumina fibers.

Claim 15

A device of claim 10 wherein the fibers comprise about 10 to 60 percent of the volume of said device.

Claim 16

A device of claim 10 wherein the fibers comprise about 15 to 40 percent of the volume of said device.

Claim 17

A device of claim 12 having a flexural strength of about 15,000 to 25,000 psi.

Claim 18

A device of claim 13 having a flexural modulus of up to about 3×10 6 psi.