Patent ID: 6913626

Claim:
A hybrid medical implant comprising an elastomeric, nonbioabsorbable core portion having an outer surface and a plurality of discrete particles of a bioabsorbable material partially embedded in said outer surface such that an exposed portion of said particles projects outwardly from said outer surface, said exposed portion of said particles and said outer surface of said core portion in combination providing an outer surface of said hybrid medical implant and wherein said outer surface of said hybrid medical implant has an irregular topography such that immediately upon implantation of the hybrid medical implant within the body, the exposed portion of said plurality of particles of bioabsorbable material project outwardly from said outer surface of said core portion; and after the particles of bioabsorbable material are absorbed by the body, the outer surface of said core portion of said hybrid medical implant has a plurality of open craters therewithin, said hybrid medical implant being made by a process including the steps of: (a) coating an outer surface of an implantable article with a curable elastomeric composition to form an uncured core portion; then (b) applying a plurality of discrete bioabsorbable particles to said uncured core portion such that said bioabsorbable particles are only partially embedded within said uncured core portion; then (c) curing said uncured core portion.