An example medical system includes a medical device configured to join the edges of the leaflets together, an elongate body configured to be navigated through vasculature to a heart valve of patient, and a plurality of tissue engagement devices extending from a distal end of the elongate body, each tissue engagement device comprising at least one clamp configured to capture leaflets of the heart valve.

A sutureless implant for replacing damaged natural chordae tendineae of a human or possibly animal heart, the implant including a distal implant part, a proximal implant part, and an artificial chord. The distal implant part is configured to fit in a lumen of an implant delivery device and includes a self-spreading portion spreading radially outside when the distal implant part is released from the lumen, the self-spreading portion being capable of anchoring the distal implant part in human muscle tissue. The proximal implant part is configured to fit in the lumen of the implant delivery device and comprises a self-spreading portion spreading radially outside when the proximal implant part is released from the lumen, the self-spreading portion being capable of bearing on a tissue portion of leaflet tissue. The distal implant part and the proximal implant part are connected by the chord.

A surgical fastener comprising a generally flat, circular body and a generally cylindrical post fixedly coupled to a center of the body extending perpendicular to the body. Both of the body and the post include through holes configured for passage of a suture. A length of the post is selected to extend through both of a bone graft and at least a portion of bone for providing shear and/or anti-rotational support to the surgical fastener across a fracture line in the bone.

Apparatus and methods are described herein for anchoring a prosthetic heart valve. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a tether attachment member that includes a base member that defines at least a portion of a tether passageway through which a portion of a tether extending from a prosthetic heart valve can be received therethrough. The base member defines a locking pin channel that intersects the tether passageway. A locking pin is disposable within the locking pin channel and movable between a first position in which the locking pin is at a spaced distance from the tether passageway, and a second position in which the locking pin intersects the tether passageway and can engage the portion of a tether disposed therein to secure the tether to the tether attachment member.

A ringless web is configured to repair heart valve function in patients suffering from degenerative mitral valve regurgitation (DMR) or functional mitral valve regurgitation (FMR). In accordance with various embodiments, a ringless web can be anchored at one or more locations below the valve plane in the ventricle, such as at a papillary muscle, and one or more locations above the valve plane, such as in the valve annulus. A tensioning mechanism connecting the ringless web to one or more of the anchors can be used to adjust a tension of the web such that web restrains the leaflet to prevent prolapse by restricting leaflet motion to the coaptation zone and/or promotes natural coaptation of the valve leaflets.

Embodiments of the invention include a tissue repair system and related components and associated methods that provide for suturing of tissue using three or more suture anchoring implants, including multiple pairs of connected implants in some embodiments, all of which may be deployed from a single device. Some embodiments achieve this by employing a push mechanism capable of being activated to advance the push mechanism incrementally to discrete positions within the device and deploy implants one at a time from the device.

A method of evaluating soft tissue of a human joint which includes two or more bones and ligaments, wherein the ligaments are under anatomical tension to connect the bones together, creating a load-bearing articulating joint, the method includes: inserting into the joint a tensioner-balancer that includes a means of controlling a distraction force; providing an electronic receiving device; moving the joint through at least a portion of its range of motion; while moving the joint, controlling the distraction force, and collecting displacement and distraction load data of the bones; processing the collected data to produce a digital geometric model of the joint, wherein the model includes: ligament displacement data along a range of flexion angles and ligament load data along a range of flexion angles; and storing the digital geometric model for further use.

Devices, systems, and methods to improve both the reliability of soft tissue repair procedures and the speed at which the procedures are completed are provided. The devices and systems include one or more tissue augmentation constructs, which include constructs that are configured to increase a footprint across which suture applied force to tissue when the suture is tied down onto the tissue. The tissue augmentation constructs can be quickly and easily associated with the repair suture, and can be useful in many different tissue repair procedures that are disclosed in the application. Tissue augmentation constructs can include various blocks and scaffolds, among other formations. The present disclosure includes, among other disclosures, methods for using tissue augmentation scaffolds, including folding scaffolds, and descriptions and methods associated with extra-wide tissue augmentation blocks.

An assembly for reshaping a cardiac ventricle in a patient comprising an implantable device for reshaping a ventricle comprising a tether, a non-implantable tool which is detachably connectable to said implantable device and has a proximal portion and a distal portion opposite to said proximal portion; the implantable device further comprises an active anchor adapted to be detachably connected to the distal portion of the tool; the active anchor comprises an abutment portion adapted to abut against a structure of the ventricle; the active anchor of the implantable device comprises an adjustment device adapted to adjust the tensional state of the tether; the distal portion of the tool comprises an adjustment key adapted to cooperate with the adjustment device of the active anchor; the proximal portion of the tool comprises a maneuvering interface which is operatively connectable to said adjustment key for adjusting the tensional state of the tether by acting on the maneuvering interface of the proximal portion of the tool.

The present disclosure provides a heart valve repair method, comprising: advancing a distal end of a suture implanting apparatus from an outside of a body through a transapical approach into a left ventricle or a right ventricle of a heart; holding each leaflet of a heart valve with the distal end of the suture implanting apparatus; implanting at least one suture into the leaflet; withdrawing the suture implanting apparatus from the body; advancing a distal end of a suture locking apparatus from the outside of a body through a transapical approach into the corresponding left ventricle or the corresponding right ventricle; using the suture locking apparatus to lock the plurality of sutures; and withdrawing the suture locking apparatus from the body. The heart valve repair method has a simple surgical procedure, a low degree of patient trauma, and a high success rate of surgery.