IMPLANT COATING

摘要

A coating for application to an orthopaedic implant to deliver a pharmaceutical composition. The coating comprises a polymeric matrix which acts as a carrier for the pharmaceutical composition. The matrix is formed from a polymer of at least one hydrophilic substituted or unsubstituted vinyl carbonyl monomer and at least one linking agent which has first and second reactive groups which can react with the vinyl carbonyl monomer so as to link them, spaced by from 3 to 30 repeating units whose chain length is from 2 to 10 atoms. The vinyl carbonyl monomer is present in an amount of from 20% to 90% by volume of the combined volume of the vinyl carbonyl monomer and the linking agent. The matrix also includes a particulate filler which is present in an amount of at least 3% by weight of the total weight of the matrix.