System and methods for harvesting and processing periosteum fibers

Abstract

Periosteum harvesting and processing systems and methods enable rapid, efficient, and repeatable harvesting of periosteum tissue from human long bones and processing of the tissue into individual fibers for use in strengthening surgical allograft products. One harvesting and processing method involves providing a human long bone, securing the long bone between two rotating live centers, scraping, using one of a plurality of harvesting tools selected from a harvesting and processing kit, periosteum tissue from the long bone, executing a first wash cycle comprising a hydrogen peroxide wash, executing a second wash cycle comprising an isopropyl alcohol wash, executing a third wash cycle comprising a phosphate buffered saline wash, compressing the periosteum tissue to remove excess fluid, cryofracturing the tissue until a desired fiber size is achieved, and separating the periosteum tissue into individual periosteum fibers having the desired fiber size. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

1 . A composition of periosteum fibers for use in strengthening a surgical allograft prepared by a method comprising:
 providing a human long bone including a diaphysis having an outer layer of a periosteum tissue;   securing the diaphysis between two rotating live centers;   removing, using one of a plurality of harvesting tools selected from a harvesting and processing kit, the periosteum tissue from the diaphysis;   executing a first wash cycle comprising washing the periosteum tissue in a hydrogen peroxide solution;   executing a second wash cycle comprising washing the periosteum tissue in an isopropyl alcohol solution;   executing a third wash cycle comprising washing the periosteum tissue in a phosphate buffered saline (PBS);   compressing the periosteum tissue;   cryofracturing the periosteum tissue into a quantity of fused periosteum fibers; and   separating the quantity of the fused periosteum fibers into a plurality of individual periosteum fibers.   
     
     
         2 . The composition of periosteum fibers for use in strengthening a surgical allograft prepared by the method of  claim 1 , wherein the executing the first wash cycle comprises:
 executing three hydrogen peroxide washes of the periosteum tissue, each of the three hydrogen peroxide washes comprising a 200 ml volume of a 6% hydrogen peroxide solution for five minutes;   after the executing of each of the three hydrogen peroxide washes, isolating the periosteum tissue using a 125-micron sieve; and   drying the periosteum tissue.   
     
     
         3 . The composition of periosteum fibers for use in strengthening a surgical allograft prepared by the method of  claim 2 , wherein the executing the second wash cycle comprises:
 executing two isopropyl alcohol washes of the periosteum tissue, each of the two isopropyl alcohol washes comprising a 200 ml volume of a 70% isopropyl alcohol solution for five minutes;   after the executing of each of the two isopropyl alcohol washes, isolating the periosteum tissue using the 125-micron sieve; and   drying the periosteum tissue.   
     
     
         4 . The composition of periosteum fibers for use in strengthening a surgical allograft prepared by the method of  claim 3 , wherein the executing the third wash cycle comprises:
 executing a PBS wash comprising a 200 ml volume of the PBS for five minutes;   isolating the periosteum tissue using the 125-micron sieve; and   drying the periosteum tissue.   
     
     
         5 . The composition of periosteum fibers for use in strengthening a surgical allograft prepared by the method of  claim 1 , wherein the compressing the periosteum tissue comprises passing the periosteum tissue through a space between two adjacent rollers. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of periosteum fibers for use in strengthening a surgical allograft prepared by the method of  claim 1 , wherein the separating the quantity of the fused periosteum fibers comprises using a separator to impinge upon the quantity of the fused periosteum fibers such that the fused periosteum fibers fracture apart into the plurality of the individual periosteum fibers. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of periosteum fibers for use in strengthening a surgical allograft prepared by the method of  claim 6 , wherein the separator comprises:
 first and second opposing blocks, each of the first and the second opposing blocks having an opposing inner surface with a plurality of pins protruding proximally-to-distally therefrom, wherein when the quantity of the fused periosteum fibers is positioned between the opposing inner surfaces of the first and the second opposing blocks, the plurality of the pins impinge upon the quantity of the fused periosteum fibers and separate the fused periosteum fibers into the plurality of the individual periosteum fibers.   
     
     
         8 . The composition of periosteum fibers for use in strengthening a surgical allograft prepared by the method of  claim 6 , wherein the separator comprises:
 first and second overlapping and counterrotating blade sets;   a first gear operatively coupled with the first blade set;   a second gear operatively coupled with the second blade set, wherein:
 the first and the second gears are enmeshed such that rotating one of the first and the second gears rotates the first and the second blade sets in opposite directions; and 
 when the quantity of the fused periosteum fibers contacts an overlapping portion between the first and the second blade sets, the first and the second blade sets impinge upon the quantity of the fused periosteum fibers such that the fused periosteum fibers separate into the plurality of the individual periosteum fibers as the first and the second blade sets travel from a first end to a second end of the quantity of the fused periosteum fibers. 
   
     
     
         9 . The composition of periosteum fibers for use in strengthening a surgical allograft prepared by the method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of the harvesting tools of the harvesting and processing kit comprise at least a scalpel, a cheese wire, one or more radius card scrapers, and one or more small radius gouges. 
     
     
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