Patent ID: 8562619

Claim:
A method for filling a bone defect in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising: heating a bone cement composition to a first temperature where the bone cement composition is fluidic, wherein the bone cement composition contains (i) a thermoplastic biocompatible polymer, which is poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and (ii) a biocompatible salt containing calcium, the first temperature ranging from 200° C. to 250° C. and the weight ratio of the salt to the polymer being 1:3 to 2:1; and delivering an effective amount of the fluidic bone cement composition at a second temperature to the bone defect thereby filling the bone defect and allowing the fluidic bone cement composition to solidify, the second temperature being sufficiently high for maintaining the bone cement composition fluidic without causing thermal necrosis.