摘要 |
Structural elements of biocompatible material are interlocked with one another in an array to repair, augment or replace natural bone, the structural elements each including a hub having a center, and a plurality of posts projecting from the hub and spaced from one another to establish inter-post spaces between adjacent posts, each post having a root at the hub, an opposite tip, a length, and a transverse cross-sectional configuration, the number of posts and the relative length, cross-sectional configuration, and location of adjacent posts in each structural element being such that the inter-post spaces of one structural element will receive the posts of adjacent structural elements in the array to promote interlocking of adjacent structural elements in a relatively tightly meshed relationship for resisting shear stress in essentially all directions within the array. |