Patent ID: 7758643

Claim:
A method of preparing a cartilage defect repair plug that extends along a longitudinal axis for distributing a load at a cartilage defect site, comprising: a. shaping a first layer to define a first shoulder having a first bearing surface perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cartilage plug and being bound by a first wall parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cartilage plug; b. shaping a second layer to define a second shoulder having a second bearing surface perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cartilage plug and being bound by a second wall parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cartilage plug, said second shoulder spaced apart from said first shoulder in a direction towards said longitudinal axis; and c. shaping a third layer to define a third shoulder having a third bearing surface perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cartilage plug and being bound by a third wall parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cartilage plug, said third shoulder spaced apart from said second shoulder in a direction towards said longitudinal axis; wherein when a load is applied on the cartilage plug, the load is distributed in a direction normal to the cartilage defect site; wherein each of said first, second and third bearing surfaces and walls directly engage said cartilage defect site; and wherein the first layer includes an upper and lower layer, the upper layer being formed from a first material and configured to engage cartilage and the lower layer being formed from a second, different material and configured to engage bone, the upper and lower layers having the same width in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis such that the periphery of each layer forms part of the first wall, the lower layer being disposed below the upper layer such that an upper side of the lower layer abuts the upper layer and an opposite lower side of the lower layer in a direction along the longitudinal axis abuts the second layer, the first layer being sized to extend from a region of cartilage at the cartilage defect site to a region of underlying bone at the defect site.