US 7,578,845 B2
	Structured composites as a matrix (scaffold) for the tissue engineering of bones
Berthold Nies, Fraenkisch-Crumbach (Germany); Brigitte Jeschke, Kelkheim (Germany); and Patricia Schaffner, Griosheim (Germany)
Assigned to Biomet Deutschland GmbH, Berlin (Germany)
Appl. No. 10/512,763 PCT Filed Apr. 07, 2003, PCT No. PCT/EP03/03582 § 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date May 09, 2005, PCT Pub. No. WO03/092760, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 13, 2003.
Claims priority of application No. 102 19 183 (DE), filed on Apr. 29, 2002.
Prior Publication US 2005/0233454 A1, Oct. 20, 2005
Int. Cl. A61F 2/28 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 623—16.11

11 Claims

1. A structured composite as support for tissue engineering and implant material of bones comprising a mass of individual porous calcium phosphate granules, said composite comprising granules having a particle size of from 2 to 10 mm with macropores and micropores, where the macropores have an average diameter of from 50 to 500 μm and the micropores have an average diameter from 0.5 to 5 μm, and a collagen as a biocompatible binder, wherein said individual calcium phosphate granules are uniformly distributed in a collagen fabric formed by the collagen binder, wherein the composite cannot be compressed by pressure from adjacent connective tissue, wherein the composite is obtained by a process comprising the steps of deep-freezing, thawing and subsequent freeze-drying of a mixture comprising said calcium phosphate granules and a suspension of the collagen binder, and wherein the resulting structured composite comprises from 98 to 99 percent by weight of calcium phosphate and from 1 to 2 percent by weight of the collagen binder.