The present invention provides an anchor system for musculoskeletal applications, e.g., for anchoring tendons or ligaments to bone or anchoring two or more bone sections. The anchor system comprises a substantially solid pre-manufactured distal portion (i.e., anchor component) and a settable, biodegradable composite. The biodegradable composite is flowable at the time of delivery and is introduced into the fixation site before or after the anchor component. Both the anchor component and the biodegradable composite may be manufactured from citrate-based polymers.

Embodiments of devices, apparatuses, kits, and methods for repairing a human joint by suturing biological tissue to the articular surface of a bone at the joint (e.g., repairing defects in the humerus at the glenoid joint after an anterior shoulder dislocation) are described herein. Biological tissue may include hard tissue such as bone or a joint socket or soft tissue such as cartilage, ligaments, tendons, or muscle tissue.

Methods and systems are provided for securing tissue to bone. A surgical system can include a driver device, an elongate shaft receivable within the driver device and having a dilator feature at its distal end, and a capture suture extending through the shaft such that the capture suture's terminal end portions extend to a more proximal position on the driver and the capture suture forms a loop that extends through an opening formed through a side of the shaft. The loop is configured to receive at least one retention suture therethrough and can be tightened by pulling the capture suture's terminal ends, thereby coupling the retention suture with the suture anchor. Once the shaft is inserted into bone and the loop with the retention suture is closed, the suture anchor is driven distally towards the dilator features and into the bone to secure the retaining suture in the bone.

A suture anchor for use in a knotless, suture-first technique for securing soft tissue to bone comprises a proximal anchor body and a distal tip having an eyelet configured to receive an end of a repair suture. Internal locking elements on the distal tip and the proximal anchor body are provided for locking the tip and anchor body together when the suture anchor is implanted in a bone. A suture assembly for use in an alternate knotless technique comprises a suture anchor, a repair suture, and a shuttle suture. Both the repair suture and the shuttle suture rea looped at one end and straight at the other end. In the alternate technique, the loop and tail of the repair suture are manipulated to form a luggage tag configuration extending around the tissue, and the shuttle suture is used to tightly secure the luggage tag configuration and tissue against the bone.

A repair suture consists of a strand of suture material formed into a continuous loop. One end of the loop may be thicker than the other. The repair suture may be part of a suture assembly including the repair suture, a linking suture having a looped end and a straight end, and a suture anchor. The suture anchor may have a suture bridge that divides the cross-sectional area of the interior of the anchor into two unequal sections. The suture assembly may be used to create luggage tag configurations for repairing tissue or for attaching tissue to bone. In a double-row method with medial row compression, loose suture ends from the medial row are inserted into a lateral row anchor having a proximal anchor body, a distal tip, and internal locking elements for locking the distal tip to the proximal anchor body.

A facial invasive tissue treatment method includes the following procedures. Mark five to ten facelift suture path lines on each half face of a user in a predetermined pattern according to the facial condition of the user, wherein each facelift suture path line has an upper segment, a lower segment, and an insertion mark between the upper segment and the lower segment. After sterilization of the user's face, perform anesthesia at portions of the user's face where the needles inserting in and penetrating by injecting anesthetics at least at the insertion marks and the outlet marks of the facelift suture path lines marked on both half faces of the user. Thereafter, it is preferred to perform another sterilization to the user's face. Implant five to ten invasive sutures in the subcutaneous tissue layer of both half faces of the user along and underlying the facelift suture path lines marked thereon respectively. Perform facial shaping by tightening the underlying tissue through the implanted sutures while straddling, pushing, pressing, squeezing, shoving, extruding, and/or caressing the facial skin and tissue around the implanted sutures.

The invention relates to a device for use in the transcatheter treatment of mitral valve regurgitation, specifically a coaptation enhancement element for implantation across the valve; a system including the coaptation enhancement element and anchors for implantation; a system including the coaptation enhancement element, catheter and driver; and a method for transcatheter implantation of a coaptation element across a heart valve.

An apparatus for affixing a first tissue to a second tissue and methods of manufacturing and using the same. The apparatus comprises an elongated needle; a handle disposed at a proximal end of the elongated needle; a superelastic anchor disposed within the elongated needle, the anchor comprises: at least one normally-expanded elongated hook that is biased to a contracted state to fit within the elongated needle; a securing element; and an advancement mechanism triggerable by the handle and being configured to: eject the anchor out of a distal end of said elongated needle to allow the elongated hook to extend distally outward from the longitudinal axis of the elongated needle, into or beyond a tissue, and following the ejection of the anchor, eject the securing element from the apparatus to prevent movement of the anchor in at least one direction.

A system for treating mitral regurgitation may include an outer sheath having a lumen extending to a distal end of the outer sheath, an intermediate sheath slidably disposed within the lumen of the outer sheath, the intermediate sheath having a lumen extending to a distal end of the intermediate sheath, and an inner sheath slidably disposed within the lumen of the intermediate sheath, wherein the inner sheath includes a first anchor disposed within a lumen of the inner sheath, the first anchor being configured to penetrate and secure to a first papillary muscle. The intermediate sheath may include a tissue grasping mechanism at the distal end of the intermediate sheath, the tissue grasping mechanism being configured to hold and stabilize the first papillary muscle for penetration and securement of the first anchor to the first papillary muscle.

Described are methods and apparatus for use in supporting tissue in a patient's body. In some embodiments, the patient's breast is supported. In some embodiments, the methods provide ways of supporting and adjusting tissue, and the apparatus includes components and embodiments for supporting and adjusting the tissue. Some embodiments include a supporting device, having a first portion, a second portion, and a support member positioned between the first portion and second portion. Some embodiments include advancing the first portion of the supporting device into the body to a first location in the body; advancing the second portion of the supporting device into the body to a second location in the body; securing the first portion of the supporting device at the first location; and shifting soft tissue in the body with the support member.