Buttress Attachment to Degradable Polymer Zones

A staple cartridge for use with a surgical stapling apparatus, the staple cartridge comprising:

• a cartridge body including a tissue contacting surface defining a plurality of staple retaining slots;
• a staple disposed within each staple retaining slot of the cartridge body;
• a surgical buttress configured and dimensioned to substantially overlie at least a portion of the staple retaining slots of the cartridge body;
• and
• a plurality of attachment pads secured to the tissue contacting surface of the cartridge body configured to retain the respective buttress material thereto,
• wherein the surgical buttress is ultrasonically welded to each of the plurality of attachment pads.

A surgical stapling apparatus, comprising:

• a housing;
• an end effector being secured to the housing and a staple cartridge assembly having a tissue contacting surface and an anvil assembly having a tissue contacting surface;
• a surgical buttress configured and dimensioned to substantially overlie at least a portion of the tissue contacting surface of at least one of the staple cartridge assembly and anvil assembly;
• and
• a plurality of attachment pads secured to at least one of the tissue contacting surface of the at least one staple cartridge assembly and anvil assembly configured to retain the respective buttress material thereto,
• wherein the surgical buttress is ultrasonically welded to each of the plurality of attachment pads.