Allograft bone plugs, systems and techniques

A bone implant comprising:

• a member, at least a portion of the member comprising allograft, the member configured to be inserted into bone tissue, the member having a distal end, a proximal end spaced from the distal end along a central axis that extends from the proximal end to the distal end such that the member is elongate along the central axis, the proximal end including a proximal opening, and the member defining a hollow cavity that extends from the proximal opening toward the distal end along the central axis, the proximal end including an inner surface facing the central axis, an outer surface opposite the inner surface, and a thickness measured from the inner surface to the outer surface in a first direction that is perpendicular to the central axis, the hollow cavity sized to receive a fastener that imparts a force onto the member as it is received in the hollow cavity;
• and
• a protrusion that extends from the proximal end in a second direction that is substantially parallel to the central axis, such that the proximal end is disposed between the distal end and at least a portion of the protrusion with respect to the second direction, the protrusion includes a protrusion inner surface facing the central axis, a protrusion outer surface opposite the protrusion inner surface, and a thickness measured from the protrusion inner surface to the protrusion outer surface in the first direction, the protrusion configured to be held by an insertion instrument such that the protrusion receives a counterforce to the force imparted onto the member by the fastener as the hollow cavity receives the fastener;
• wherein the thickness of the protrusion is substantially equal to the thickness of the proximal end, and the bone implant is devoid of a second protrusion that extends from the proximal end at a position opposite the protrusion with respect to the first direction.

A bone implant comprising:

• a member, at least a portion of the member comprising allograft, the member configured to be inserted into bone tissue, the member having a distal portion including a distal end, a proximal portion including a proximal end, the distal portion spaced from the proximal portion along a central axis that extends from the proximal end to the distal end such that the member is elongate along the central axis, the proximal end including a proximal opening, the bone implant defining a hollow cavity that extends from the proximal opening along the central axis toward the distal end, the member having an inner surface that at least partially defines the hollow cavity and an outer surface opposite the inner surface,
• wherein 1) the member defines a wall thickness measured between the inner surface and the outer surface in a first direction that is perpendicular to the central axis, such that the wall thickness at the distal portion is greater than the wall thickness at the proximal portion, 2) the outer surface of the member extends from the proximal end to the distal end along at least one straight line that extends from the proximal end to the distal end in a second direction that is parallel to the central axis, and the outer surface is substantially smooth such that the outer surface is devoid of any indentations, ridges, or gaps that intersect with the at least one straight line, and 3) at least a portion of the member is at least partially demineralized.

An implant configured to be positioned into bone tissue, the implant comprising:

• a member, at least a portion of the member comprising allograft, the member adapted for insertion into the bone tissue, the member having a distal end, a proximal end spaced from the distal end along a central axis, an intermediate portion extending between the distal end and the proximal end, the implant defining a hollow cavity extending into the member at the proximal end, the hollow cavity extending along the central axis from the proximal end into the intermediate portion and toward the distal end, the member further defining an outer surface that extends from the proximal end to the distal end and is monolithic with each of the proximal end and the distal end, the outer surface defining an outer dimension measured along a direction perpendicular to the central axis, the member defining at least one recess that extends from the outer surface toward the hollow cavity, such that the at least one recess interrupts the outer surface;
• wherein at least a portion of the member is at least partially demineralized, and at least a portion of the outer surface is expandable away from the central axis along an entirety of a circumferential line that 1) lies on the outer surface, 2) is spaced from the recess along the central axis, and 3) lies in a plane normal to the central axis, such that the outer dimension of the member at the intermediate portion is greater than the outer dimension at each of the proximal end and the distal end.