Enhanced visibility materials for implantation in hard tissue

A settable enhanced-visibility composition, implantable in a flowable form, comprising of:

• a radiopaque tracer consisting essentially of tracer particles that are discretely visible within said composition during an implantation, said tracer particles being randomly scattered within said composition;
• and
• a radiopaque contrast agent comprising contrast particles that forms a homogeneous background against which said radiopaque particles are individually viewable, whereby during said implantation,
• said tracer particles visibly indicate flow of said composition, and
• said contrast agent visibly indicate accumulation of said composition.

A method of implanting a settable enhanced-visibility material into an implantable site, said method comprising:

• mixing an implantable matrix material with radiopaque tracer particles and a radiopaque contrast agent, said tracer particles consisting essentially of tracer particles that are discretely distinguishable within said matrix material during an implantation and wherein said tracer particles visibly indicate flow of said composition during an implantation, and wherein said contrast agent visibly indicate accumulation of said composition during said implantation, to form a flowable implantable composition;
• injecting said flowable implantable composition into said implantable site;
• and
• observing said tracer particles to determine the path taken by said implantable enhanced-visibility material during said implantation.

A system for implanting a settable enhanced-visibility composition, said system comprising:

• an implantable matrix material comprising radiopaque tracer particles that are discreetly distinguishable within said matrix during an implantation, said tracer particles consisting essentially of particles that are larger than about 350 microns and smaller than 2200 microns;
• an injector for implanting said matrix material;
• and
• imaging means for viewing a flow of said tracer particles during said implantation whereby said tracer particles visibly indicate a path taken by said composition during said implantation.

An precursor of an injectable enhanced-visibility implantable composition, comprising:

• a powder comprising a polymer;
• a liquid comprising a monomer;
• a mixture comprising a radiopaque tracer and a radiopaque contrast agent wherein,
• said polymer and said monomer are combinable to form a settable implantable matrix;
• said tracer consists essentially of tracer particles that are mixable within said matrix to define discretely visible shapes within said matrix during an implantation;
• said contrast agent is mixable within said matrix to form a homogeneous background against which said tracer particles are individually viewable during said implantation;
• said tracer particles visibly indicate flow of said composition;
• and
• said contrast agent visibly indicate accumulation of said composition.