Patient-specific manufacturing of porous metal prostheses

Abstract

A patient-specific porous metal prosthesis and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The orthopaedic prosthesis may be metallic to provide adequate strength and stability. Also, the orthopaedic prosthesis may be porous to promote bone ingrowth.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . An orthopedic prothesis comprising:
 a substrate having brittle struts that form ligaments with open pores therebetween, wherein the substrate has an outer-most surface that is shaped from a plurality of the struts that are permanently deformed, broken or crushed.   
     
     
         3 . The orthopedic prothesis of  claim 2 , wherein the substrate has a reticulated vitreous carbon core covered by a thin film of tantalum metal. 
     
     
         4 . The orthopedic prosthesis of  claim 2 , wherein the substrate has an inner portion and an outer portion that includes the outer-most surface, and wherein the struts at the inner portion have a same porosity as the outer portion. 
     
     
         5 . The orthopedic prosthesis of  claim 4 , wherein at least some of the struts that comprise the inner portion are permanently deformed, broken or crushed. 
     
     
         6 . The orthopedic prosthesis of  claim 2 , wherein the subs is coated. 
     
     
         7 . The orthopedic prosthesis of  claim 2 , wherein a porosity of the substrate is between 55% and 90%. 
     
     
         8 . The orthopedic prosthesis of  claim 2 , wherein the substrate lacks any planes of symmetry. 
     
     
         9 . The orthopedic prosthesis of  claim 2 , wherein the substrate has custom features including one of sockets, channels or recesses. 
     
     
         10 . The orthopedic prosthesis of  claim 2 , wherein the outer-most surface is patient-specific having a desired shape configured as a substantial negative of a patient's bone such that the outer surface is contoured to fit against the patient's bone. 
     
     
         11 . The orthopedic prosthesis of  claim 2 , wherein a plurality of the ligaments intersect at a node and an outer-most one of the ligaments is configured to break away at the node. 
     
     
         12 . The orthopedic prosthesis of  claim 11 , wherein a pore formed by the plurality of ligaments is dodecahedron-shaped. 
     
     
         13 . An orthopedic prosthesis comprising:
 a mold-formed substrate having brittle struts that form ligaments with open pores therebetween, wherein the substrate has an inner portion and an outer portion that includes an outer-most surface, and wherein a first plurality of the struts that comprise the inner portion are permanently deformed, broken or crushed and the outer-most surface is shaped from a second plurality of the struts that are permanently deformed, broken or crushed struts.   
     
     
         14 . The orthopedic prothesis of  claim 13 , wherein the substrate has a reticulated vitreous carbon core covered by a thin film of tantalum metal. 
     
     
         15 . The orthopedic prosthesis of  claim 13 , wherein the outer-most surface is patient-specific having a desired shape configured as a substantial negative of a patient's bone such that the outer surface is contoured to fit against the patient's bone. 
     
     
         16 . A patient-specific orthopedic prothesis comprising:
 a substrate having brittle struts that form ligaments with open pores therebetween, wherein the substrate has an outer-most surface that is patient-specific having a desired shape configured as a substantial negative of a patient's bone such that the outer surface is contoured to fit against the patient's bone, wherein the outer-most surface is shaped from a plurality of the struts at that are permanently deformed, broken or crushed struts as a result of compression of the substrate in a patient-specific mold.   
     
     
         17 . The patient-specific orthopedic prosthesis of  claim 16 , wherein the substrate has a reticulated vitreous carbon core covered by a thin film of tantalum metal. 
     
     
         18 . The patient-specific orthopedic prosthesis of  claim 16 , wherein the substrate has an inner portion and an outer portion that includes the outer-most surface, and wherein a plurality of the struts at the inner portion have a same porosity as the outer portion and at least some of the plurality of the struts that comprise the inner portion are permanently deformed, broken or crushed. 
     
     
         19 . The patient-specific orthopedic prosthesis of  claim 16 , wherein the substrate lacks any planes of symmetry. 
     
     
         20 . The patient-specific orthopedic prosthesis of  claim 16 , wherein the substrate has custom features including one of sockets, channels or recesses. 
     
     
         21 . The patient-specific orthopedic prosthesis of  claim 16 , wherein a plurality of the ligaments intersect at a node and an outer-most one of the ligaments is configured to break away at the node.