Patent ID: 8277828

Claim:
A method for promoting bone growth in a bone defect, comprising: providing a bone growth promoting composition, the bone growth promoting composition comprising: a bone growth promoting material in granule or powder form, wherein the bone growth promoting material is a mineral-containing material selected from the group consisting of calcium hydroxyapatite, tricalcium phosphate, purified coral shell, freeze dried natural bone powder, freeze dried natural bone granules, and mixtures thereof; water or blood; and a water-gelatinizable thickener dispersed among the bone growth promoting material that, in combination with the water and bone growth promoting material, causes the bone growth promoting composition to have the consistency of a viscous gel or firm putty, the water-gelatinizable thickener being free of collagen; and thereafter introducing the bone growth promoting composition in the form of the viscous gel or firm putty into a bone defect.