Patent ID: 7468075

Claim:
A method of selecting an articular implant for repairing an articular surface having diseased articular cartilage, the articular implant having an inner surface for facing bone and an outer surface for facing a cavity of a joint, the method comprising: obtaining an image of a joint, wherein the image includes subchondral bone; deriving a shape of the subchondral bone from the image; determining a desired shape for the outer surface of the articular implant from, at least in part, the derived shape of the subchondral bone; selecting the articular implant from a library of implants, such that the outer surface of the articular implant substantially matches the desired shape, and the inner surface of the articular implant substantially fits to the derived shape of the subchondral bone, wherein the articular implant includes an attachment mechanism for fixing the articular implant to the joint.