Patent ID: 7351262
Filing Date: 2008-04-01
Classification: A61B,A61F

Abstract:
1. A load bearing implant for use in fusing adjacent bony structures comprising a plurality of pieces of bone and a flexible mechanism including a plurality of flexible, elongate, biocompatible connectors interconnecting the pieces of bone; wherein said plurality of pieces of bone includes at least a first piece of bone, a second piece of bone, and a third piece of bone, wherein said first piece of bone comprises at least a first through hole extending therethrough in a first direction and a second through hole extending therethrough in a second direction wherein said second direction is transverse to said first direction, said second piece of bone comprises at least a first through hole extending therethrough, and said third piece of bone comprises at least a first through hole extending therethrough; wherein said plurality of flexible, elongate, biocompatible connectors includes at least a first flexible, elongate, biocompatible connector extending through said first through hole of said first piece of bone and through said first through hole of said second piece of bone, and a second flexible, elongate, biocompatible connector separate from said first flexible, elongate, biocompatible connector, said second flexible, elongate, biocompatible connector extending through said second through hole of said first piece of bone and through said first through hole of said third piece of bone; wherein said plurality of pieces of bone form a multi-layered implant in which said second piece of bone occurs laterally adjacent to said first piece of bone and said third piece of bone occurs vertically adjacent to said first piece of bone; and wherein said implant has a compressive strength greater than about 1000 Newtons.