fig1 a illustrates a cross - sectional view of fill material 4 that comprises flowable component 5 with elastomeric polymer component 6 dispersed therein . the flowable component or material 5 is an in - situ hardenable bone cement ( e . g ., pmma ) that is intermixed with elastomeric component 6 that comprises a plurality of small elastomeric elements , such as silicone particles or elements of another biocompatible polymer . the flowable material 5 and elastomeric elements 6 can be intermixed prior to introduction into bone or contemporaneous with introduction into bone from separate channels in an introducer . the elastomeric elements 6 are typically dimensioned to be small enough to allow their passage within the openings of cancellous bone in a targeted treatment site . in one embodiment as depicted in fig1 b , the elastomeric elements 6 themselves comprise a composite of base elastomer 10 a and reticulated , open - cell scaffold structures indicated at 10 b . such reticulated open - cell structures can allow for later bone ingrowth into the surface of the volume of fill material . the term “ reticulated ” as used herein describes open - cell structures 10 b and means having the appearance of , or functioning as , a wire - like network or a substantially rigid net - like structure . the terms reticulated and trabecular are used interchangeably herein to describe structures having ligaments that bound open cells or closed cells in the interior of the structure . fig2 a - 2b illustrate a method corresponding to the invention for use in the treatment of a vertebral compression fracture indicated at 13 . in fig2 a , an initial volume of fill material 4 comprising a flowable bone cement component 5 and intermixed elastomeric elements 6 is injected under substantial pressure into cancellous bone 14 of the vertebra 15 resulting in plume 18 . the fill material 4 is introduced in a unilateral or bilateral transpedicular approach through cannula 19 as is well known in the art of vertebroplasty . the fill material 4 propagates within the openings in cancellous bone and may also follow pre - existing fracture lines in cancellous bone , for example as may exist following a compression fracture . fig2 b illustrates the same step of injecting fill material 4 but after a greater volume of material has been introduced resulting in plume 18 of fill material being larger and engaging the cortical bone endplates . in the high pressure injection of a such a composite fill material , the elastomeric elements 6 migrate toward surface region 20 of plume 18 and create a differential in the apparent viscosity of the flowable material across the volume or plume . the term “ apparent viscosity ” is used herein to describe the flow characteristics of the combination of flowable component 5 and intermixed elastomeric elements 6 . as the injection pressures and the resistance to inflows of fill material increase , the accumulation of elastomeric elements 6 about surface region 20 also increases . the elastomeric elements 6 can additionally deform and ultimately the pressures cause elastomeric elements 6 to form in - situ a substantially flow - impermeable surface region 20 . as the surface region becomes substantially impermeable to flows or extravasion therethrough of flowable component 5 , continued injection of fill material will elastically expand the surface regions and apply expansion forces to the bone . in a vertebral body as in fig2 b , the expansion pressures can expand cancellous bone 14 in which the flowable material 4 has flowed and apply retraction forces to the cortical bone endplates to at least partly reduce a vertebral fracture . in general , an exemplary method corresponding to the invention for treating mammalian bone comprises the following : ( a ) flowing an initial volume of flowable media into the interior of a bone wherein the media includes a volume of elastomeric elements , and ( b ) flowing under pressure increasing volumes of the flowable media wherein injection pressures causes a differential apparent viscosity within selected regions across the flowable media . the method further includes causing surface regions 20 of the plume 18 of flowable media to be substantially impermeable to flows therethrough ( fig2 b ). the method includes allowing an in - situ polymerizable component of the flowable media to harden to thereby support expanded cancellous bone and to maintain retracted cortical bone in an altered position . in another embodiment , the fill material 4 described above includes an elastomer filler composite 6 that carries microscale or mesoscale reticulated elements 10 b ( fig1 b ). as the elastomer elements 6 aggregate about surface region 20 of the plume 18 , the reticulated material is proximate to bone and can thus allow for subsequent bone ingrowth . in addition , elastomer elements 6 and surface region 20 create an insulative layer that prevents or moderates heating of the bone external to surface region 20 from an exothermic reaction of a typical bone cement used as flowable component 5 that is interior of surface region 20 . in any embodiment , elastomer composite elements 6 can carry radiosensitive and magnetic - sensitive fillers for cooperating with an rf source or an inductive heating source for elevating the polymer to a targeted temperature . alternatively , the polymeric composition can be substantially transparent or substantially translucent and carry chromophores for cooperating with a light source introduced with the material for heating to material to a selected temperature for increasing the modulus of the material . thus , such methods of heating surface regions 20 ( fig2 b ) in which the elastomer composite elements 6 have aggregated will cause accelerated heating of adjacent interior regions of flowable component 5 . this system can be used to selectively polymerize regions of flowable media 5 adjacent the surface region 20 . by this means , the peripheral portions of plume 18 interior of , and within , the aggregated elastomeric elements , can be formed into a flow - impermeable layer . the reticulated structures 10 b as in fig1 b define a mean cross section which can be expressed in microns . in preferred embodiments , the cells are bounded by polyhedral faces , typically pentagonal or hexagonal , that are formed with five or six ligaments 15 . the cell dimension is selected for enhancing tissue ingrowth , and mean cell cross - sections can range between 10 microns and 200 microns ; and more preferably ranges between 20 microns and 100 microns . such reticulated materials and structures are available from erg materials and aerospace corp ., 900 stanford avenue , oakland calif . 94608 and porvair advanced materials , inc ., 700 shepherd street , hendersonville n . c . 28792 , and are more fully described in co - pending u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / ______ , filed jun . 7 , 2005 ( docket no . s - 7700 - 020a ) titled implants and methods for treating bone , the contents of which are incorporated herein by this reference in their entirety and should be considered a part of this specification . referring back to fig1 a and 1b , the elastomeric composition comprises any biocompatible polymer having an elastic modulus ranging between about 10 mpa and 1 kpa . the polymer can be a foam , or a shape memory polymer ( smp ) that releases stored energy after heating and moving from a compacted temporary shape to an expanded memory shape . a description of suitable shape memory polymers is described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 837 , 858 titled orthopedic implants , methods of use and methods of fabrication filed may 3 , 2004 , the contents of which are incorporated herein by this reference in their entirety and should be considered a part of this specification . in a preferred embodiment , the elastomer elements 5 are at least one of bioerodible , bioabsorbable or bioexcretable . fig3 a - 3c illustrate an alternative embodiment of the invention wherein the composite of an elastomer 10 a and reticulated elements 10 b ( fig1 b ) is formed into exemplary implant body 40 a . in fig3 a and 3b , implant 40 a is fabricated by molding in a suitable dimension for introduction into bore 25 in a bone , indicated as cancellous bone 26 and a cortical bone surface 28 . fig3 c illustrates that implant 40 a can have an optional channel or opening 44 for receiving or guiding the positioning of fill material 48 comprising a threaded implant . in fig3 c , it can be seen that a threaded implant 48 can be screwed into the implant wherein the elastomeric implant 40 a and reticulated elements 10 b dispersed therein are compressed to form an interference fit between the bone and implant member 40 a . of particular interest , the insertion of the threaded implant 48 causes self - adjustment of the distribution , location and orientation of the reticulated elements 10 b within the elastomer matrix , thus optimally self - distributing loads between the implant 48 and the bone . in the prior art , a threaded implant would engage the bone highest engagement pressures generally about the apex of the threads . in the system as in fig3 c , the engagement forces would be distributed about all surfaces of threaded implant 48 — which also preferably has a surface region that is reticulated , roughened or porous . fig4 illustrates another exemplary implant 40 b that is fabricated of an elastomer composite . in this embodiment , the composite body has at least two layers 50 a and 50 b that are polymer matrices that carry reticulated elements having different parameters ( density , cell dimensions etc .) to provide different elastic moduli . the scope of the invention thus encompasses an implant structure 40 b that has a gradient modulus for transitioning from an interface with cortical bone 55 to the interface with a rigid member 48 which is needed in various implants and reconstructions , such as in hip implants . in another embodiment depicted in fig5 a and 5b , the elastomeric composite implant 60 can be configured with a plurality of composite regions 62 a and 62 b that provide variations or gradients in material properties for enhancing implant fixation in bone 64 . in fig5 b , it can be seen that regions 62 a of the composite are deformable but more rigid than the adjacent regions 62 b . thus , the higher modulus regions will be forced outward more into the bone that other regions 62 b upon insertion of bone screw 68 . the scope of the invention encompasses varying all the obvious properties of different regions of the composite to achieve the desired regional variations or gradients , and include adjusting the : ( i ) density of ligaments of the reticulated elements dispersed in the matrix ; ( ii ) the overall shape , dimensions and orientations of the reticulated elements ; ( iii ) the pore size of the reticulated elements ; ( iv ) the modulus , deformability and material of the reticulated elements ; ( v ) the percentage volume of reticulated elements in the matrix , ( vi ) the properties media carried in the pores of the reticulated elements , and ( vii ) the modulus and other properties of the polymer base material 10 a ( fig1 b ). the above - described embodiments describe elastomer composites that cooperate with fill materials to control properties of the interface between fill material and bone . the scope of the invention extends to elastomer composites as in fig2 a - 2b , 3 a - 3 c and 4 that are introduced into bone wherein a base polymer can be elevated to a transition temperature so that the composite then adjusts its orientation . upon cooling , the elastomer composite can then freeze in a particular form . in such embodiments , it is preferred that reticulated elements in the composite have varied shapes for non - slip engagement between such elements to thereby increase the modulus of the material . in an exemplary embodiment , the polymeric composition has a transition temperature in the range of 40 ° c . to 120 ° c . ; and preferably in the range of 40 ° c . to 80 ° c . the transition temperature is a glass transition temperature or a melt temperature . again , the polymeric matrix can carry radiosensitive or magnetic - sensitive fillers for cooperating with an rf source or an inductive heating source for elevating the polymer to a targeted temperature . alternatively , the polymeric composition can be substantially transparent or substantially translucent and carry chromophores for cooperating with a light source for heating to material to a selected temperature for elevating the composition to a transition temperature . in any embodiment , the fill materials or implants can further carry a radiopaque or radiovisible composition if the material of the reticulated elements is not radiovisible . in any embodiment , the fill materials or implants can carry any pharmacological agent or any of the following : antibiotics , cortical bone material , synthetic cortical replacement material , demineralized bone material , autograft and allograft materials . the implant body also can include drugs and agents for inducing bone growth , such as bone morphogenic protein ( bmp ). the implants can carry the pharmacological agents for immediate or timed release . the above description of the invention intended to be illustrative and not exhaustive . a number of variations and alternatives will be apparent to one having ordinary skills in the art . such alternatives and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the claims . particular features that are presented in dependent claims can be combined and fall within the scope of the invention . the invention also encompasses embodiments as if dependent claims were alternatively written in a multiple dependent claim format with reference to other independent claims .
a system and method for treating bone abnormalities including vertebral compression fractures and the like . in one vertebroplasty method , a fill material is injected under high pressures into cancellous bone wherein the fill material includes a flowable bone cement component and an elastomeric polymer component that is carried therein . the elastomer component can further carry microscale or mesoscale reticulated elements . under suitable injection pressures , the elastomeric component ultimately migrates within the flowable material to alter the apparent viscosity across the plume of fill material to accomplish multiple functions . for example , the differential in apparent viscosity across the fill material creates a broad load - distributing layer within cancellous bone for applying retraction forces to cortical bone endplates . the differential in apparent viscosity also transitions into a flow impermeable layer at the interface of cancellous bone and the flowable material to prevent extravasion of the flowable bone cement component .