Apparatus for securing an object to bone, the apparatus including an anchor assembly comprising an anchor and an actuation element extending from the anchor, wherein applying a force to the actuation element when the anchor is disposed in a hole formed in a bone secures the anchor to the bone; and an inserter for deploying the anchor assembly in a hole formed in a bone, the inserter including a shaft for releasably engaging the anchor; and a force delivery mechanism mounted to the shaft and connected to the actuation element, the force delivery mechanism being constructed so as to receive an input force from an external source and to selectively apply an output force to the actuation element, with the force delivery mechanism being constructed so that the magnitude of the output force is limited regardless of the magnitude of the input force.

Systems, devices, and methods are provided for securing soft tissue to bone, for securing one or more objects using a surgical filament, and for drawing two or more tissues together so they can be secured in a desired location. One exemplary embodiment of a surgical repair construct that is configured to atraumatically pass through soft tissue to secure tissue in a knotless manner includes a snare linkage, a collapsible loop, and a flexible suture pin. The snare linkage can include a collapsible snare for receiving the collapsible loop, and in use the snare can be collapsed around the collapsible loop and advanced distally towards the bone until the snare is proximate to the tissue, while the collapsible loop can be collapsed distally towards the bone to bring the tissue into proximity with the bone. Other exemplary systems, devices, and methods for use with soft tissue repair are also provided.

Devices, systems and/or methods for fixating soft tissue to bone are provided. In one embodiment, a repair device for fixating soft tissue to bone with a bone anchor includes a soft tissue anchor and one or more flexible members. The soft tissue anchor includes a base with multiple legs extending from the base. The one or more flexible members are coupled to the base and configured to extend from the base to the bone anchor with a fixed length. With this arrangement, the fixed length of the one or more flexible members is configured to maintain a fixed distance between the soft tissue anchor and the bone anchor such that, as the bone anchor is seated into bone, the one or more flexible members pulls the soft tissue anchor down against the soft tissue to fixate the soft tissue to the bone.

A surgical instrument having an anchor and a plug is capable of anchoring a suture. The suture anchor has an anchor body having a top surface, a bottom surface distal to the top surface, a transverse bore and a well, the well having an outer surface, an inner surface, and an inner bottom surface. The plug has a post, a head, and a bottom face. The anchor body and the anchor plus form a suture anchor. The suture anchor may be used during surgical procedures and can be used in the re-tensioning of a suture.

A method of reinforcing a biological construct according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, attaching a suture loop/needle construct to a reinforcement material and stitching the reinforcement material to a biological construct to form a reinforced biological construct. The reinforcement material is attached to the suture loop/needle construct prior to approximating the reinforcement material to the biological construct.

A method and apparatus for securing soft tissue to bone can include loading a suture through an eyelet of a suture anchor. The suture anchor can have a longitudinal axis and a distal tip. An anchor inserter assembly can be positioned in contact with the suture anchor. The anchor inserter assembly can include a sleeve portion and an impacting portion. The suture can be engaged with a suture engaging member on the suture inserter assembly at a location adjacent to the eyelet. The sleeve portion can be translated relative to the impacting portion from an alignment position to an insertion position thereby moving the suture a first distance offset from the eyelet in a direction away from the distal tip. The anchor insert assembly can be advanced to a driven position thereby advancing the suture anchor into the bone. The suture engaging member can be released from the suture.

Abdominal closure method and device variations for closing ventral hernias and reducing recurrence are described. The tissue anchoring assembly may generally include a first prong defining a lumen at least partially therethrough. The first prong may further define one or more openings or channels at least partially along the first prong and an opening near or at a base of the first prong such that the one or more openings or channels and the opening are in communication via the lumen. A first member may extend from the base of the first prong for contact against a first tissue surface and a second member may be configured to move relative to the first prong for contact against a second tissue surface such that the first member and the second member are secured relative to one another.

A method of reducing tricuspid valve regurgitation is provided, including implanting first, second, and third tissue anchors at respective different first, second, and third implantation sites in cardiac tissue in the vicinity of the tricuspid valve of the patient. The geometry of the tricuspid valve is altered by drawing the leaflets of the tricuspid valve toward one another by applying tension between the first, the second, and the third tissue anchors by rotating a spool that (a) winds therewithin respective portions of first, second, and third longitudinal members coupled to the first, the second, and the third tissue anchors, respectively, and (b) is suspended along the first, the second, and the third longitudinal members hovering over the tricuspid valve away from the annulus of the tricuspid valve. Other embodiments are also described.

An inserter including a hollow elongated shaft extending along a central longitudinal axis and having a proximal end and a distal end with a lumen extending therethrough; a sharp point at the distal end of the hollow elongated shaft, the sharp point disposed eccentric to the longitudinal axis of the hollow elongated shaft; a handle at the proximal end of the hollow elongated shaft; and a drive shaft movably disposed within the lumen of the hollow elongated shaft.

Suture anchors and associated methods are disclosed having suture securing features able to lock suture ends extending from a body tissue, such as from a bone tunnel.