There is a clinical demand for biocompatible matrices that offer tissue growth-conductive and or growth-inductive properties resembling those of autologous tissue and that can be produced in unlimited supply, for tissues such as bone, cartilage, or soft tissue. Although some bone substitutes are available, many consist of materials that have poor physical handling and resorption characteristics that complicate their use and radiographic evaluation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,673,285 to Ma, issued Jan. 6, 2004 discloses 3-D biodegradable porous, polymer (natural or synthetic) scaffolds with well-controlled, interconnected pores, and method for forming the porous materials. This patent further discloses fabricating hydrophilic and/or hydrophobic porogen materials into 3-D negative replicas of the desired macroporous architectures. In the methods, biodegradable polymers (PLLA and PLGA) are dissolved in a solvent and cast onto the negative replica. After dissolving/leaching out the porogen materials, a porous polymer scaffold is formed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,899 to Schwartz, issued Jun. 23, 1998, discloses a bio-absorbable cartilage repair system for regenerating damaged or destroyed articular cartilage on the surface of a bone by establishing a chondrogenic growth-supporting matrix between an area of removed damaged or destroyed articular cartilage and the adjacent healthy cancellous bone. The repair system comprises a delivery unit consisting substantially of completely bio-absorbable material which is dimensionally stable against substantial expansion by absorption of synovial joint fluid, and configured and dimensioned to be mounted in both an area of damaged or destroyed articular cartilage that has been removed and an adjacent healthy area of articular cartilage and subchondral cancellous bone; and a porous insert supported by the delivery unit, consisting substantially of completely bio-absorbable material, and defining at least 95% voids by volume for establishing communication between the removed area and the adjacent healthy area for a chondrogenic growth-supporting matrix. The delivery unit can comprise polyester, and the porous insert can comprise hyaluronic acid.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,477 to Naughton, issued Dec. 1, 1998, discloses methods of making and/or repairing cartilage in vivo which include implanting into a patient a biocompatible, non-living three-dimensional scaffold which can be made from a material such as polyglycolic acid, polylactic acid or hyaluronic acid.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,585 to Cook, issued Jun. 29, 1999, discloses a biodegradable material for immobilization of bioactive species thereon. The material comprises a porous hydrophobic biodegradable support member which can be polyglycolide or a copolymer of glycolide, glycolide/L-lactide, and at least one layer of a hydrophilic polymer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,328,765 to Hardwick, issued Dec. 11, 2001, discloses a tissue penetrable device constructed of degradable materials such as non-highly cross-linked hyaluronic acid, a hydrolyzable polyester such as polylactic acid and polyglycolic acid, or a blend thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,696,073 to Boyce, issued Jan. 28, 2003, discloses a load-bearing osteoimplant comprising a shaped, coherent mass of bone particles and a binder, which can comprise a polysaccharide, polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, polylactic-co-glycolic acid, polylactide, polyglycolide, or poly(lactide-co-glycolide).
US Patent application publication 20040126405 of Sahatjian, published Jul. 1, 2004, discloses a three dimensional cell scaffold including a biocompatible polymer formed from a plurality of fibers configured so as to form a non-woven three dimensional open celled matrix having a predetermined shape, a predetermined pore volume fraction, a predetermined pore shape, and a predetermined pore size, with the matrix having a plurality of connections between the fibers. The biodegradable polymer can be poly L-lactic acid, polyglycolic acid (PGA), hyaluronic acid, or a copolymer or blend thereof.
US Patent application publication 20040078090 of Binette, published Apr. 22, 2004, discloses a biocompatible tissue repair implant or scaffold device for use in repairing a variety of tissue injuries, particularly injuries to cartilage, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. The implant includes a biocompatible scaffold and particles of living tissue. The biocompatible scaffold can include homopolymers or copolymers of lactides or glycolides, and hyaluronic acid as an adhesion agent.
None of these references recites a matrix comprising a polyester entangled with a polysaccharide. Accordingly, there remains a need for biodegradable, biocompatible matrices which maintain structural integrity and which can be used in the repair tissues such as bone, cartilage, and/or soft tissue.