Described are medical graft products, systems, and methods for treating fistulae. Certain products of the invention are configured to have portions residing in and around a primary fistula opening, e.g., one occurring in a wall of the alimentary canal. One such product includes a biocompatible graft body which is configured to block at least the primary opening. The graft body includes a capping member, which is configured to contact portions of the alimentary canal wall adjacent to the primary opening, and an elongate plug member extending from the capping member, which is configured to extend into at least a portion of the fistula. In certain embodiments, a graft body component has the capacity to expand or otherwise change form to provide a suitable capping arrangement. Such a component can include a resilient wire frame, e.g., one that is self-expandable or one that requires at least some manipulation in order to expand.

A surgical stapling instrument is disclosed. An end effector for the surgical stapling instrument comprises a staple cartridge assembly and an anvil. The staple cartridge assembly comprises a proximal end, a distal end, and a cartridge body comprising a shortened nose at the distal end. The staple cartridge assembly further comprises staples removably stored in the cartridge body, a driver configured to support at least one of the staples, and a sled movable toward the distal end. The sled comprises a ramp configured to lift the driver and at least one of the staples and a base, wherein the shortened nose of the cartridge body is shorter than the base of the sled. The anvil comprises a staple forming surface comprising a plurality of staple forming pockets and a blunt distal nose extending downward toward the staple cartridge assembly.

A method of making a suture needle having a bendable region includes obtaining a suture needle made of a martensitic alloy having an austenitic transition temperature. The suture needle has a proximal section, a distal section with a sharpened tip, and a bendable region located between the proximal and distal sections. The method includes heating the suture needle to a first temperature that is greater than the austenitic transition temperature of the martensitic alloy and quenching the suture needle to room temperature to harden the martensitic alloy, After heating and quenching, the bendable region of the suture needle is heated locally to a second temperature that is above 800 degrees Celsius, but below the austenitic transition temperature of the martensitic alloy so that the bendable region is softened and made more flexible relative to the proximal and distal sections of the suture needle.

A ligation clip includes a frame defining a cavity, a flexible band that is pivotably supported on one end of the frame, and a spring beam supported on the other end of the frame in cantilevered fashion. The flexible band is movable in relation to the frame from an open position to a clamped position to clamp tissue between the flexible band and the spring beam.

An implantable, autonomously growing medical device is disclosed. The device may have an outer, braided outer element that holds an inner core. Degradation and/or softening of the inner core permits the outer element to elongate, allowing the device to grow with surrounding tissue. The growth profile of the medical device can be controlled by altering the shape/material/cure conditions of the inner core, as well as the geometry of the out element.

An optical marker for positioning a medical device outside a body and the medical device are disclosed. The optical marker comprises: a base having a concave or a convex, the concave or the convex being provided with a non-coplanar optical mark(s), and the optical mark(s) being visible on the entire surface of the concave or the convex; and a connecting portion connected to the base and used for connecting with the medical device. In the optical marker, the base provided with the optical mark(s) has a non-planar structure, being able to increase the recognizable angle of the medical device and improve the recognition accuracy and stability.

A system for harvesting a tendon graft is disclosed, including a retractor, a guide and a harvesting tool. The retractor is collapsible and upon release, becomes self-supporting to hold open an anatomic space developed in a patient above the tendon. A guide assembles with the retractor to orient a guide shaft along the retractor and thereby the anatomic space. The harvesting tool includes a working end with a blade edge for cutting into the tendon. The harvesting tool defines a contoured surface for engaging and translating along the guide shaft while assembled to the retractor. The guide shaft and contoured surface limit the trajectory and translation extent of the harvesting tool along and into the tendon.

The invention relates to a medical instrument having an elongated shaft, a movable tool at a distal end of the shaft, a handle with a movable grip part at a proximal end of the shaft, and a force transmission element which can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the instrument and is operatively connected to the movable grip part and to the tool such that an actuation of the movable grip part is converted into a movement of the tool. The instrument has a spring assembly that is arranged on the handle and has at least one leg spring, which has at least one winding and two legs, and a pin, wherein the at least one winding extends about the pin. When the movable grip part is actuated, a force is applied to at least one of the legs of the leg spring, said force reducing the friction between the winding and the pin such that the leg spring can be rotated about the pin and the force transmission element and the tool can be moved. When a force is transmitted from the tool to the force transmission element in the longitudinal direction thereof, the leg spring cannot be rotated about the pin such that the force transmission element and the tool cannot be moved.

In various embodiments, a tissue thickness compensator can comprise one or more capsules and/or pockets comprising at least one medicament therein. In at least one embodiment, staples can be fired through the tissue thickness compensator to rupture the capsules. In certain embodiments, a firing member, or knife, can be advanced through the tissue thickness compensator to rupture the capsules.

A spinal plate system that makes it possible to check the extent to which a screw for anchoring the device to a vertebra is inserted in the vertebra is proposed. The spinal plate system includes a fixing plate having a plurality of first fastening holes formed through a surface thereof, a plurality of screws, which are respectively inserted into the plurality of first fastening holes and are threadedly coupled to a vertebra, and a locking rivet, which is disposed adjacent to the plurality of fastening holes and which comes into contact with first ends of the plurality of screws so as to hold the plurality of screws, the locking rivet including an elastic portion, which is elastically deformed by the plurality of screws when the screws are inserted into the fixing plate and which is elastically restored after the screws are completely inserted to a predetermined depth.