Patent ID: 8445554

Claim:
A porous implantable device suitable for implantation in a living being, said implantable device comprising a high density porous polymer material having at least one property that is characteristic of at least one of cortical bone and cancellous bone of a human being, said at least one property being selected from the group consisting of compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, and tensile strength, wherein said high density is obtained by a process comprising compression applied to at least one porous polymer material, wherein said compression process causes the sacrifice of at least some pores in said porous polymer material, thereby forming a new shape, and further wherein said compression takes place in at least one of (i) a temperature above the glass transition temperature for said polymer, and (ii) when said polymer is in a plasticized condition, whereby molecules of said polymer move and rotate to achieve a lower energy state, thereby causing said high density porous material to permanently lock in the new shape, and wherein said device is arranged for implantation into said living being.