Bioprosthetic devices include an exterior biological tissue member which
at least partly defines a cavity, and a proteinaceous biopolymer which
fills the cavity, and intercalates and is chemically bound (fixed) to the
tissue of the surrounding biological tissue member. In preferred forms,
the bioprosthetic device is a bioprosthetic vertebral disc having a
fibrillar outer annulus which surrounds and defines an interior cavity
and is formed by removal of at least a substantial portion of the natural
gelatinous core therefrom. The cavity defined by the fibrillar outer
annulus may then be filled with a flowable proteinaceous biopolymer.
Preferably, the proteinaceous biopolymer is a liquid mixture comprised of
human or animal-derived protein material and a di- or polyaldehyde, which
are allowed to react in situ to form a cross-linked biopolymer within the
cavity. The liquid mixture may be formed in advance of being introduced
into the cavity, or may be formed simultaneously during introduction into
the cavity.