Background
As the U.S. population ages, the need for bone grafts to repair bone defects has rapidly accelerated. Bone defects have been successfully treated using autografts and allografts. However, autografts have limited availability and can result in donor-site morbidity; allografts can provoke immunological rejection and can potentially transmit disease. Processing allografts can decrease the possibility of rejection and limit the potential to spread disease, but such processing compromises the biomechanical and surface characteristics of the allograft, leading to poor healing and failure of the transplanted bone. Thus a need exists for an allograft process limiting the potential for immunological rejection and disease transmission while enhancing bone healing.

Invention Description
The disclosed invention offers a process to resurface processed bone grafts with biomimetic coatings with nanoscale topographies. This process increases the effectiveness of graft material in regenerating bone lost to disease, injury or ageing. (While we have developed the process to enhance bone graft osteointegration, the concept of using biomimetic nanotopographies to enhance tissue healing has many applications – including but not limited to orthopaedic implants, dental implants, soft tissue allografts and cartilage repair.) Such films recapitulate the surface of un-processed bone onto the surface of processed bone grafts and in doing so enhance the graft’s ability to heal bone.

File Number: 3701