Implant material for replacing hard tissue of living body

Claim 2

An implant material for replacing hard tissue of a living body, comprising 10 to 90% by weight of a fiber glass mainly composed of calcium phosphate and 90 to 10% by weight of an organic high polymer material not inhibiting affinity with the living body, the surface of the fiber glass being coated with a calcium phosphate compound having a Ca/P molar ratio of from 0.8 to 1.7 and resulting from dipping the fiber glass in a solution containing phosphoric ions and having a pH value of from 2 to 7, a portion of said fiber glass being exposed on the surface of said implant material, said implant material having a bending strength of from 500 kg/cm 2 to 16500 kg/cm 2 , a modulus of bending elasticity of from 0.6 to 10 5 kg/cm 2 to 5.5×10 5 kg/cm 2 , and a density of from 1.3 to 2.3 g/cm 3 , said fiber glass containing a total content of CaO and P 2 O 5 of not less than 15% by weight, and having a molar ratio of Ca/P of from 0.3 to 4.0, the bending strength, the modulus of bending elasticity and the density being adjusted within said range by varying the content of the fiber glass.

Claim 3

The implant material according to claim 1, wherein said fiber glass is prepared by melting and then cooling a starting material selected from the group consisting of a single calcium phosphate compound, a combination of a calcium phosphate compound with one or more of other phosphorous-containing compounds, a combination of a calcium phosphate compound with one or more of other calcium-containing compounds, and a combination of one or more of said other phosphorous-containing compounds with one or more of said other calcium-containing compounds.

Claim 4

The implant material according to claim 2, wherein said calcium phosphate compound is selected from the group consisting of tetracalcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, tricalcium phosphate, animal bones and mixtures thereof.

Claim 5

The implant material according to claim 2, wherein said other calcium-containing compound is selected from the group consisting of quick lime, slaked lime, calcium carbonate and mixtures thereof.

Claim 6

The implant material according to claim 2, wherein said other phosphorous-containing compound is selected from the group consisting of triammonium phosphate, ammonium hydrogenphosphate, sodium phosphate, phosphoric acid and mixtures thereof.

Claim 7

The implant material according to claim 2, wherein said starting material further includes an inorganic oxide.

Claim 8

The implant material according to claim 6, wherein said inorganic oxide is selected from the group consisting of alumina, silica, sodium oxide, potassium oxide, iron oxide, magnesium oxide, potash feldspar, kaolin and mixtures thereof.

Claim 9

The implant material according to claim 1, wherein said solution containing phosphoric ions is selected from the group consisting of a solution of ammonium hydrogenphosphate and a mixed solution of phosphoric acid and ammonia.

Claim 10

The implant material according to claim 1, wherein said organic high polymer material is selected from the group consisting of a carboxylic acid base polymer, a carboxylic ester base polymer and an olefinic polymer.

Claim 11

The implant material according to claim 9, wherein said carboxylic acid base polymer is selected from the group consisting of polylactic acid and polyglycolic acid.

Claim 12

The implant material according to claim 9, wherein said carboxylic ester base polymer is selected from the group consisting of polymethylmethacrylate and poly(trifluoroethylmethacrylate).

Claim 13

The implant material according to claim 9, wherein said olefinic polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene and polypropylene.

Claim 14

An implant material for replacing hard tissue of a living body, comprising 10 to 90% by weight of a fiber glass mainly composed of calcium phosphate and 90 to 10% by weight of an organic high polymer material not inhibiting affinity with the living body, the surface of the fiber glass being coated with a calcium phosphate compound having a Ca/P molar ratio of from 1.0 to 2.0 and resulting from dipping the fiber glass in a slurry of a calcium phosphate compound having a Ca/P ratio of from 1.0 to 2.0 and then drying the slurry on the fiber glass, a portion of said fiber glass being exposed on the surface of said implant material, said implant material having a bending strength of from 500 kg/cm 2 to 16500 kg/cm 2 , a modulus of bending elasticity of from 0.6×10 5 kg/cm 2 to 5.5×10 5 kg/cm 2 , and a density of from 1.3 to 2.3 g/cm 3 , said fiber glass containing a total content of CaO and P 2 O 5 of not less than 15% by weight, and having a molar ratio of Ca/P of from 0.3 to 4.0, the bending strength, the modulus of bending elasticity and the density being adjusted within said range by varying the content of the fiber glass.

Claim 15

An implant material for replacing hard tissue of a living body, comprising 10 to 90% by weight of a fiber glass mainly composed of calcium phosphate and 90 to 10% by weight of an organic high polymer material not inhibiting affinity with the living body, the surface of the fiber glass being coated with a calcium phosphate compound having a Ca/P molar ratio of from 1.0 to 2.0 and resulting from dipping the fiber glass in a slurry of a calcium phosphate compound having a Ca/P ratio of from 1.0 to 2.0 and then drying the slurry on the fiber glass, a portion of said fiber glass being exposed on the surface of said implant material, said implant material having a bending strength of from 500 kg/cm 2 to 16500 kg/cm 2 , a modulus of bending elasticity of from 0.6×10 5 kg/cm 2 to 5.5×10 5 kg/cm 2 , and a density of from 1.3 to 2.3 g/cm 3 , said fiber glass containing a total content of CaO and P 2 O 5 of not less than 15% by weight, and having a molar ratio of Ca/P of from 0.3 to 4.0, the bending strength, the modulus of bending elasticity and the density being adjusted within said range by varying the content of the fiber glass.

Claim 16

The implant material according to claim 13, wherein said fiber glass is prepared by melting and then cooling a starting material selected from the group consisting of a single calcium phosphate compound, a combination of a calcium phosphate compound with one or more of other phosphorous-containing compounds, a combination of a calcium phosphate compound with one or more of other calcium-containing compounds, and a combination of one or more of said other phosphorous-containing compounds with one or more of said other calcium-containing compounds.

Claim 17

The implant material according to claim 14, wherein said calcium phosphate compound is selected from the group consisting of tetracalcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, tricalcium phosphate, animal bones and mixtures thereof.

Claim 18

The implant material according to claim 14, wherein said other calcium-containing compound is selected from the group consisting of quick lime, slaked lime, calcium carbonate and mixtures thereof.

Claim 19

The implant material according to claim 14, wherein said other phosphorous-containing compound is selected from the group consisting of triammonium phosphate, ammonium hydrogenphosphate, sodium phosphate, phosphoric acid and mixtures thereof.

Claim 20

The implant material according to claim 14, wherein said starting material further includes an inorganic oxide.

Claim 21

The implant material according to claim 18, wherein said inorganic oxide is selected from the group consisting of alumina, silica, sodium oxide, potassium oxide, iron oxide, magnesium oxide, potash feldspar, kaolin and mixtures thereof.

Claim 22

The implant material according to claim 14, wherein said organic high polymer material is selected from the group consisting of a carboxylic acid base polymer, a carboxylic ester base polymer and a olefinic polymer.

Claim 23

The implant material according to claim 20, wherein said carboxylic acid base polymer is selected from the group consisting of polylactic acid and polyglycolic acid.

Claim 24

The implant material according to claim 20, wherein said carboxylic ester base polymer is selected from the group consisting of polymethylmethacrylate and poly(trifluoroethylmethacrylate).

Claim 25

The implant material according to claim 20, wherein said olefinic polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene and polypropylene.