Knee joint prosthesis and hyaluronate compositions for treatment of osteoarthritis

Abstract

A medical device and methods to relieve joint pain and adapted for knee joint repair, replacement and augmentation. The invention discloses joint lubricant, particularly hyaluronate compositions and methods for treatment of osteoarthritis.

1 . A meniscal device comprising a support structure around circumference of a meniscus in a patient, wherein the support structure comprises a body with an exterior surface characterized with enhanced boundary lubrication, the body being made of biocompatible material selected from the group consisting of PVA hydrogel, elastomers, polypropylene, polyethylene, PEEK, and metals.  
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said device comprises a meniscal collar device.  
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said device comprises a meniscal wafer device.  
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said enhanced boundary lubrication comprises means for attracting or adsorbing a surface-active phospholipid.  
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said enhanced boundary lubrication comprises means for coating a functional phospholipid on said device.  
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said enhanced boundary lubrication comprises means for coating a reactable phospholipid of phosphorylcholine.  
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said enhanced boundary lubrication comprises means for coating a reactable acrylate polymer with phospholipid side chains.  
   
   
       8 . A method of meniscal augmentation comprising administering a meniscal bulking agent to increase a volume of said meniscus.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said meniscal bulking agent is administered by injection.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said injection step is applied using imaging guidance or arthroscopically under direct viewing.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said meniscal bulking agent comprises a biodegradable hydrogel.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said meniscal bulking agent comprises a crosslinkable hydrogel with a first molecular weight, said crosslinked hydrogel having a second molecular weight higher than said first molecular weight.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said meniscal bulking agent is a liquid with a first viscosity index before an administering step, said meniscal bulking agent having a second viscosity index after the administering step, wherein the second viscosity index is higher than the first viscosity index.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the bulking agent has a first volume before an administering step and expands to a second volume after the administering step.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the bulking agent further comprises a scaffold seeded with autologous cells.  
   
   
       16 . A method for treatment of osteoarthritis of a patient, the method comprising injecting a suspension of HA microparticles into a joint space of the patient, wherein said microparticles have a hardness number less than the hardness number of a cartilage within said joint space.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said microparticles comprise lyophilized HA, the lyophilized HA reconstitutes in situ after being injected into said joint space.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the joint space comprises bursa.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said microparticles have plural concentric layers and plural concentric compartments separated by said layers, each compartment being filled with said HA, wherein an outer layer of said concentric layers is configured with a higher degradation rate than a second degradation rate of an inner layer.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said nanoparticles further comprise steroids.