An Achilles tendon repair device comprises a handle for physician gripping and base having a first set of tendon rods disposed in an arcuate or U-shaped pattern about the base to engage the posterior surface of the tendon and impart a contour, or drape, the tendon in the posterior-anterior plane to increase the surface area for suturing. A second set of suture guide rods extend from the sides of the base and are spaced apart to allow insertion of suture needles along the entire length of the suture guide rods, and at any angle. A suture needle housing guide can be slidingly attached to the suture guide rods and includes sidewalls with predefined suture holes/angles. An adjustable clamping arm can engage the tendon's posterior surface such that the device grasps the tendon on both the anterior and posterior tendon surfaces simultaneously, while increasing posterior-anterior plane surface area to facilitate suturing.

Devices, systems and/or methods for fixating soft tissue at a soft tissue site are provided. The system includes a base member with multiple passer devices that carry a first suture therewith. The passer devices and first suture are passed through soft tissue to form loops adjacent at least a portion of the passer devices along one side of the soft tissue. A second suture is threaded through each of the loops and the passer devices are removed from the soft tissue. In this manner, first and second sutures may be coupled to the soft tissue.

Embodiments may include an attachable fastener, which may include a bondable material that may be secured to the end of an end effector. Vibration may be tuned to occur at a distal end of the fastener. Accordingly, the fastener may be used to generate heat at a distal point of contact. If the contact surface contains bondable material, that material may be softened. If the fastener includes bondable material at the point of contact, that material may also be softened by heat produced by vibration at the contact area. A hard implant or another polymeric material may function as the anvil.

Embodiments of systems and methods for fixing soft tissue are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, soft tissue may be fixed to an attachment surface (such as bone, other soft tissue, other implants, or allograft or xenograft materials) by providing a helical suture in the soft tissue, wherein the soft tissue has a longitudinal axis along which the soft tissue undergoes tension under normal physiological conditions, and wherein a longitudinal axis of the helical suture in the soft tissue is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the soft tissue; and securing the helical suture to an attachment surface.

The present disclosure pertains to membranous tissue grafts comprising one or more pre-made attachment points. The one or more pre-made attachment points may include pre-made markings and/or pre-made suture holes. The membranous tissue grafts can be in the form of a tube. The membranous tissue grafts can also be rectangular in shape and can be used in a nerve repair by wrapping the severed or damaged nerve. In some embodiments, the membranous tissue grafts are suitable for repairing severed nerves that have a short gap or no gap with a gap of less than 5 mm between the severed stumps. Accordingly, methods are provided for repairing a damaged or severed nerve by implanting the membranous tissue grafts on to the damaged or severed nerve.

A tissue repair device and a method for using the same are provided. The tissue repair device includes a body portion and at least one wire. The body portion includes an inner layer and an outer layer. The inner layer is close to a tissue, wherein the inner layer includes a hydrophilic structure, and the outer layer includes a hydrophobic structure. The wire is connected to the body portion to fix the body portion to the tissue.

The invention primarily relates to fastening and stabilizing tissues, implants, and/or bondable materials, such as the fastening of a tissue and/or implant to a bondable material, the fastening of an implant to tissue, and/or the fastening of an implant to another implant. This may involve using an energy source to bond and/or mechanically to stabilize a tissue, an implant, a bondable material, and/or other biocompatible material. The invention may also relate to the use of an energy source to remove and/or install an implant and/or bondable material or to facilitate solidification and/or polymerization of bondable material.

The present invention relates to an implantable device (10) for repairing at least one tendon or ligament, advantageously comprising a hollow braid (20) configured to receive in its interior volume (30) at least one portion of a tendon or ligament, and comprising over its length a central repair part (40) arranged between first and second lateral parts (50, 60). The braiding angle (β) in at least one region (42) of the central part (40) at rest is smaller than the braiding angle (α1) in at least one region (52) of the first lateral part (50) and/or than the braiding angle (α2) in at least one region (62) of the second lateral part (60) at rest.

Devices, systems and/or methods for repairing soft tissue adjacent a repair site. In one embodiment, a repair device includes a plate member and an anchor. The plate member having a periphery, the plate member configured to be positioned along an outer surface of the soft tissue. The anchor includes a base and six legs extending from the base, the six legs extending from the base being moveable to a curled configuration such that the six legs wrap around separate portions of the periphery of the plate member with the soft tissue therebetween. In this manner, the repair device may be anchored to the soft tissue.

The present invention provides a method of nerve repair using localized delivery of heat. The method involves localized induction of hyperthermia for end-to-end attachment of severed peripheral nerves by delivering stimulus responsive materials and exposing them to an excitation source under conditions wherein they emit heat. The generation of heat effects the joining of the nerve ends.