Soft tissue substitute and method of soft tissue reformation

Abstract

A soft tissue implant material is formed from biologically-compatible polymeric particles. The particles may have a diameter of up to about 500 microns and intraparticulate pores sized for ingrowth of soft tissue. The particles may have an inner core of a first biologically-compatible polymeric material and an outer layer generally surrounding the inner core, with the outer layer comprised of a second biologically-compatible polymeric material being hydrophilic and having a composition different from the composition of the first polymeric material. The material may be utilized with collagen or other matrix materials. This material may be used in a method of reforming soft tissues by implanting the material within soft body tissues to modify soft tissue defects such as wrinkles; or oral gingival tissue defects and reshape soft tissue, e.g., for urinary bladder inconvenience.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No. 09 / 448,692, filed Nov. 24, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. ______, issued ______, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to reformation of soft tissues within the body. More particularly, the invention relates to compositions useful in reforming the shape of soft tissues and methods of using such compositions in reforming soft tissues. [0004] 2. Description of Related Art [0005] The medical community for many years has been attempting to develop materials and techniques to replace tissues with the body. It may be desirable to replace such tissue due to, for example, injury, disease, side effects of medical procedures and surgeries, and the aging process, for example. In addition, some patients may desire to alter their appearance for cosmetic reasons, particularly the contour of visible soft tissues. Much attention has ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016] It is another object of the invention to provide a soft tissue substitute that is at least partially non-resorbable, supple, flexible and durable so that patients do not need to undergo repeated procedures.

[0017] Another object of the invention is to minimize patient discomfort, risk of infection and side effects of repeated medical procedures.

Problems solved by technology

Silicone has been used for decades, but can displace and harden over time.

However, implants such as these may not have a “natural” look or feel, especially as the body changes over time.

The primary drawback of injectable collagen is its resorbable nature.

Collagen quickly undergoes proteolytic degradation within the body, resulting in relatively short clinical effectiveness.

Continual submission to the injection procedure causes the patient inconvenience, expense, and perhaps pain, discomfort, and other side effects.

As with any invasive medical procedure, injection carries with it the risk of cross-contamination and infection.

Moreover, as the collagen is resorbed by the body, the patient may suffer a return of the physical dysfuinction the injection corrected, or experience undesirable and irregular changes in cosmetic appearance.

For example, bovine spongiform encephalopathy may move from animals to humans and cause new variant Creutzfeld-Jacob disease, which is fatal.

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