Abstract: A composition for spinal disc repair comprising a plurality of uniformly shaped demineralized cancellous bone pieces ranging in size from about 2.0 mm to about 4.0 mm loaded into a porous mesh container with the cancellous bone pieces being treated so that they are not osteoinductive and are packed in the porous mesh container under compression forces.

Abstract: Shaped constructs for repair of a defect in a body part or tissue of a subject are discussed herein. More specifically, implants suitable for delivery to a subject, such as a subject having a defect in a body part or body tissue, are discussed. Even more specifically, implants for intervertebral disc repair comprising corticocancellous bone, which can extend into the nucleus pulposus of an intervertebral disc and can be integrally attached to the annulus fibrosus of the disc to keep the implant in position, are described. Also, implants for meniscal repair comprising corticocancellous bone, which can extend from the outer edge of the meniscus to the inner region of the meniscus and can be integrally attached to the meniscal rim to keep the implant in position, are described. Implants for the repair of defects in bone, cartilage, and fibrocartilage are further described.

Abstract: Mixtures, such as gels or pastes, comprising freeze-milled cartilage particles and exogenous growth factors are used for repairing chondral defects. Such mixtures may be applied to constructs comprising cancellous bone for implantation at the defect site. Suitable growth factors include variants of FGF-2, particularly variants that include a sole amino acid substitution for asparagine at amino acid 111 of the ?8-?9 loop of the FGF-2 peptide. Such FGF-2 variants are released slowly and continuously at a constant rate from cartilage pastes. In other embodiments, the amino acid substituted for asparigine is glycine. Other variants that may be used include FGF-9 variants having truncated chains and a sole amino acid substitution in the ?8-?9 loop of the FGF-9 peptide either for tryptophan at amino acid 144 or for asparagine at amino acid 143.

Abstract: Constructs that are at least partially constructed of allograft cancellous bone are disclosed, along with cartilage particles that may be used with the constructs for repairing articular cartilage defects. A multi-piece construct includes a base member, a cap member and at least one pin that secures the cap member to the base member. The base member may be constructed of mineralized cancellous bone, and is used to replace the subchondral bone removed when a surgeon cuts a bore in the area of an adjacent cartilage defect. The base member includes a blind bore and first and second through-going transverse bores in opposite sides of a wall of the base member. The cap member includes an upper section that has a thickness that is similar to that of a patient's surrounding articular cartilage layer and a stem depending from the upper section that is dimensioned to be received in and by the blind bore of the base member.

Abstract: A composition for spinal disc repair comprising a plurality of uniformly shaped demineralized cancellous bone pieces ranging in size from about 2.0 mm to about 4.0 mm loaded into a porous mesh container with the cancellous bone pieces being treated so that they are not osteoinductive and are packed in the porous mesh container under compression forces.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for punching spaced binding holes in discrete stacks of bound pages, the apparatus being characterized by a front stop member and a conveyor belt releasing member whose motion is synchronized with the punch strokes. This action together with use of a joined punch and die assembly in the apparatus adapt the resulting structure for rapid, accurate punching of binding holes in pages received in discrete stacks from a high speed automatic stitcher-binder or the like.