Patent ID: 7563266

Claim:
A system for delivering an implant to a damaged tissue she in the body of a patient, the system comprising: an implant comprising a sheet of biocompatible material having a top surface and an opposite bottom surface; and a slide having a proximal end, a distal end and an elongate longitudinal slide portion between the proximal and distal ends; the slide having walls defining spaced longitudinal channels along the longitudinal slide portion; the implant being positioned on the longitudinal slide portion of the slide and between the longitudinal channels with the bottom surface of the implant in contact with the longitudinal slide portion of the slide and with at least a portion of the top surface of the implant exposed between the spaced longitudinal channels, the implant having a leading edge and a trailing edge, the top surface extending substantially between the leading edge and the trailing edge; the system further comprising an elongate guide member, wherein the elongate guide member and longitudinal channels are complementary so that parts of the elongate guide member are receivable in the longitudinal channels, wherein the elongate guide member is slidable in the longitudinal channels in a proximal-distal direction and wherein the longitudinal channels constrain movement of the elongate guide member to sliding in the proximal-distal direction; wherein the channels of the slide and the elongate guide member are sized and shaped so that a portion of the implant can be received within each channel; wherein at least a portion of the elongate guide member extends past one of the edges of the implant and overlies and contacts at least a portion of the top surface of the implant; and wherein the elongate slide portion, channels and walls defining the channels of the slide have a longitudinal profile including a curved portion at the distal end and a straight portion at the proximal end; and wherein the implant comprises an orthopaedic implant and the damaged tissue site comprises a damaged joint site.