Light emitting bone implants

Abstract

A bone implant includes a rod having an aperture extending entirely through the rod. The aperture is to receive a fastener to couple the rod to a bone of a patient. The bone implant also includes a light source disposed on the rod. The light source is to emit light onto a portion of the bone adjacent the rod to at least one of stimulate bone growth or reduce bone loss.

1 . A method of treating a bone, the method comprising:
 implanting a bone implant into the bone of a subject, the implant having a light source;   emitting light with the light source to at least one of stimulate bone growth or reduce bone loss.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the light has a wavelength in the range from about 600 nanometers to about 950 nanometers. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein emitting light with the light source occurs during a first day, and wherein the total emission of light during the first day sums to a power value, the power value being in a range between four Joules and six Joules. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising penetrating the bone with the light to a depth into the bone in order to at least one of decrease osteoblast apoptosis in the bone or promote cell proliferation in the bone. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bone implant includes a power source operatively coupled to the light, the power source configured to provide power to the light source. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bone implant includes a first induction coil in electrical communication with the light source, and further comprising electrically exciting a second induction coil, thereby electrically exciting the first induction coil to provide power to the light source. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bone implant includes a second light source, and further comprising emitting light with the second light source to at least one of stimulate bone growth or reduce bone loss. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein emitting light with the light source occurs over a first duration, and further comprising repeating emitting light with the light source for a second duration. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first duration occurs during a first day and the second duration occurs during a second day. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein implanting a bone implant into the bone of a subject includes fastening the bone implant to the bone of the subject with a first fastener. 
     
     
         11 . A method of surgically implanting a bone implant into a bone of a patient, the method comprising:
 positioning a guide wire along an axis passing through a bone;   forming a bore in the bone along the axis based on a position of the guide wire;   positioning a bone implant so that the guide wire extends through an aperture of the bone implant, the bone implant including a light source to emit light to at least one of stimulate bone growth or reduce bone loss; and   inserting the bone implant into the bore.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , and further comprising operatively coupling the light source to a power source. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein forming the bore in the bone along the axis based on the position of the guide wire comprises drilling the bore into a femur. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein inserting the bone implant into the bore comprises inserting the bone implant into the bore so that a distal end of the bone implant is at a depth of the bore greater than a length of the bone implant. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein inserting the bone implant into the bore comprises inserting the bone implant into the bore so that a distal end of the bone implant is at a depth of the bore substantially equal to a length of the bone implant. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , and further comprising:
 drilling a counter bore into the bone along the axis; and   threading a proximal end of the bone implant into the counter bore.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , and further comprising pounding the implant into the bone. 
     
     
         18 . A method for forming a bone implant, the method comprising:
 providing at least one of a rod or a plate;   coupling a light source to the at least one of the rod or the plate to form the bone implant.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising coupling a second light source to the at least one of the rod or the plate. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising inserting the light source through an aperture of the plate to form the bone implant.