US Patent 7572291 Osteochondral repair assembly including retracting spacer, kit and method

An osteochondral repair assembly and a kit, both include an osteochondral regenerative implant and an associated retracting spacer. A method of osteochondral regeneration includes forming a recipient socket in a chondral area of an articular surface in need of repair, placing a retracting spacer at the recipient socket and removably wedging the retracting spacer between a wall of the recipient socket and an implant.