A surgical stapling apparatus (10) including: a housing a handle (12) supported by the housing an elongated body (14) extending distally from the housing a tool assembly (17) at the distal end of the elongated body comprising a cartridge assembly (18) including a cartridge (82) having a plurality of surgical fasteners (84) therein and an anvil assembly (20) including an anvil plate (70), wherein at least one of the cartridge assembly and anvil assembly is movable in relation to the other of the cartridge assembly and anvil assembly and wherein each of the anvil plate and the staple cartridge defines an elongate longitudinal slot (82b, 70b) a surgical buttress (B) releasably secured to a tissue contacting surface of at least one of the anvil plate and the staple cartridge, wherein each surgical buttress is secured to the at least one of the anvil assembly and the cartridge assembly by at least one anchor (S) a release assembly (94) associated with the at least one of the anvil assembly and the cartridge assembly and a drive assembly (50) slidably translatable through the tool assembly from a proximal position to a distal position, wherein the drive assembly actuates the release assembly to thereby release the anchor and to free the surgical buttress from the at least one of the anvil assembly and cartridge assembly, characterised in that the release assembly grips the at least one anchor prior to an actuation of the drive assembly.
