1. An implant adapted for use in arthroplasty of a digit joint, comprising
a head; and
a shaft, wherein said shaft is adapted to fit into an intramedullary hole of a phalanx.
2. The implant of claim 1, wherein said digit joint is an interphalangeal joint.
3. The implant of claim 2, wherein said interphalangeal joint is the proximal interphalangeal joint.
4. The implant of claim 2, wherein said interphalangeal joint is the distal interphalangeal joint.
5. The implant of claim 4, wherein said phalanx is the middle phalanx.
6. The implant of claim 5, wherein said intramedullary hole is in a distal aspect of said middle phalanx.
7. The implant of claim 4, wherein said shaft is adapted to be secured into said intramedullary hole.
8. The implant of claim 7, wherein said shaft is threaded.
9. The implant of claim 7, wherein said intramedullary hole in the distal aspect of said phalanx has been drilled and tapped.
10. The implant of claim 7, wherein said implant is adapted to be screwed into said intramedullary hole.
11. The implant of claim 1, wherein said head is contoured to approximate the shape of articular cartilage.
12. The implant of claim 1, wherein said head is semi-circular.
13. The implant of claim 1, wherein said implant is made of a material selected from the group consisting of titanium, cobalt, stainless steel, silicone, and engineered plastics.
14. A method of performing arthroplasty of a digit joint, comprising the steps of:
drilling into a phalanx to create a intramedullary canal;
inserting an implant into said intramedullary canal.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein said implant includes a head that is contoured to approximate the shape of articular cartilage and a shaft.
16. The method of claim 14, further comprising tapping said intramedullary canal, after said drilling step.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein said shaft is threaded.
18. The method of claim 14, wherein said digit joint is the distal interphalangeal joint.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein said phalanx is the middle phalanx.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein said intramedullary canal is in a distal aspect of said middle phalanx.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein said method maintains the extensor and flexor insertions on the distal phalanx.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A seedless method for forming a semiconductor-graphene hybrid:
forming a graphene sheet on a support to form a supported graphene sheet having a graphene face;
exposing said supported graphene sheet to a solution comprising a semiconductor metal ion at a temperature below 100\xb0 C. and under ambient air pressure for a time so that said semiconductor grows on said graphene sheet, and wherein said exposing occurs without seeding said graphene sheet.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said exposing step comprises orienting said supported graphene sheet face-up in said solution.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said exposing step comprises orienting said supported graphene sheet face-down in said solution.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said exposing step comprises floating said supported graphene sheet on the surface of said solution comprising said semiconductor metal ion, wherein said graphene face is facing down so that said semiconductor grows on said face of said graphene sheet.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein said forming step comprises growing a graphene sheet on a substrate using chemical vapor deposition; spin-coating said support onto said graphene sheet; and removing said substrate.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein said forming step comprise the steps of growing a graphene sheet on a copper or nickel substrate using chemical vapor deposition; spin-coating a polymethylmethacrylate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, or polystyrene support onto said graphene sheet; and removing said copper or nickel substrate.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein said graphene sheet comprises one to two layers of graphene.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein said semiconductor comprises a metal oxide grown on said graphene sheet.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein said semiconductor forms nanostructures or microstructures comprising rods on said graphene sheet.
10. A seedless method for forming a semiconductor-graphene hybrid:
forming a graphene sheet on a support to form a supported graphene sheet having a graphene face;
exposing said supported graphene sheet to a solution comprising a semiconductor metal ion at a temperature below 100\xb0 C. for a time so that said semiconductor grows on said graphene sheet, and wherein said exposing occurs without seeding said graphene sheet, and
wherein said semiconductor forms nanostructures or microstructures comprising rods on said graphene sheet, and
wherein said exposing step comprises orienting said supported graphene sheet face-up in said solution, wherein said rods are generally horizontally aligned on said graphene.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein said exposing step comprises floating said supported graphene sheet on the surface of said solution comprising said semiconductor metal ion such that said graphene face is facing down in solution, and wherein said rods are generally vertically aligned on said graphene.
12. The method of claim 9 wherein said rods have a hexagonal cross section.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein said semiconductor comprises zinc oxide, copper oxide or combinations thereof.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein said solution has a pH of about 8 to 11.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein said solution comprises zinc ions, and said semiconductor-graphene hybrid comprises a graphene sheet having zinc oxide nanorods andor microrods.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein said exposing occurs for about 1 to 15 hours.
17. The method of claim 1 wherein said exposing occurs at a temperature of about 60 to 100\xb0 C.
18. The method of claim 1 wherein said support comprises polymethylmethacrylate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polystyrene, or combinations thereof.
19. A seedless method for forming a semiconductor-graphene hybrid:
forming a graphene sheet on a support to form a supported graphene sheet having a graphene face;
exposing said supported graphene sheet to a solution comprising a semiconductor metal ion at a temperature below 100\xb0 C. for a time so that said semiconductor grows on said graphene sheet, and wherein said exposing occurs without seeding said graphene sheet, and wherein said exposing step comprises orienting said supported graphene sheet in a first orientation for a first period of time and then orienting said supported graphene sheet in a second configuration for a second period of time.
20. The method of claim 1 wherein said exposing step comprises exposing said supported graphene sheet to an aqueous solution comprising semiconductor metal cations, and wherein said metal cations react with hydroxyl groups from solution which are attached to surface defects on said supported graphene sheet.
21. The method of claim 20 wherein said supported graphene sheet is floated on the surface of said aqueous solution comprising said semiconductor metal cations.
22. The method of claim 1 wherein said method results in a semiconductor-graphene hybrid having an electrical conductivity that is substantially the same as said graphene sheet alone.
23. A semiconductor-graphene hybrid prepared by the method comprising:
forming a graphene sheet on a support to form a supported graphene sheet having a graphene face:
exposing said supported graphene sheet to a solution comprising a semiconductor metal ion at a temperature below 100\xb0 C. and under ambient air pressure for a time so that said semiconductor grows on said graphene sheet, and wherein said exposing occurs without seeding said graphene sheet.
24. A seedless method for forming a semiconductor-graphene hybrid comprising exposing a supported graphene sheet to an aqueous basic solution comprising transition metal ions at a temperature below 100\xb0 C. and under ambient pressure for a time to provide a semiconductor comprising an oxide of the transition metal ions grown on said graphene sheet, and wherein said exposing occurs without seeding said graphene sheet.