A method of coupling a first portion of an anatomy to a second portion of the anatomy includes coupling first and second bones of the anatomy with a bone-tendon-bone implant. The bone-tendon-bone implant has a first bone end, a second bone end and a replacement tendon between the first and second bone ends. The first and second bone ends are positioned in corresponding first and second bores of the first and second bones. The first bone end is secured to the first bone with a first bone anchor. A second anchor coupled to the bone-tendon-bone implant is passed through and outside the second bore. The second anchor is coupled to an adjustable suture construct having two adjustable suture loops. Tensioning at least one of first and second ends of the adjustable suture construct tensions the replacement tendon and positions the first bone relative to the second bone.

Methods of attaching a soft tissue to an adjacent bone at a defect site are provided. An adjustable loop region of a flexible construct contained in a bore defined by a fastener is passed through a tissue. The adjustable loop is passed through the tissue. The fastener is passed back through the adjustable loop to fold the adjustable loop upon itself. The fastener is attached to the bone. An adjusting arm on the flexible construct is engaged to reduce the size of the adjustable loop and secure the soft tissue to the bone.

Devices and methods for reconnecting or supporting torn, damaged or weak tissue are disclosed. The disclosed embodiments can be used on long slender tissue such as ligaments, tendons, nerves, vessels, intestines, muscles, bones, appendages and any other elongate tissue within the body, of both humans and other animals. The devices can wrap around elongate tissue and is capable of supporting the tissue or keeping two severed ends in close proximity to one another. The devices can be used in addition to or in lieu of sutures. The devices can function similar to a Chinese Finger Trap and are capable of decreasing in diameter upon extension, thus constricting upon the tissue. The multiple coils of the devices can make sufficient surface contact on the ligament or tendon, using friction to keep the device in place, while also allowing access for diffusion of oxygen and nutrients.

A whip stitched graft construct and method of formation. The whip stitched graft construct includes a plurality of tendon strand regions or soft tissue grafts placed together so that at least a portion of the plurality of the tendon strand regions are stitched together by employing multiple suture passes placed according to a whip stitching technique. Preferably, the multiple suture passes start at about the mid length of the plurality of tendon strand regions and are advanced toward one of the free ends of the tendon strands. The whip stitched graft construct is provided with at least two regions, one region formed of at least a plurality of tendon strand regions tied and whip stitched together, and the other region formed of untied segments of the plurality of tendon strands.

An implant suitable for being anchored with the aid of mechanical vibration in an opening provided in bone tissue. The implant is compressible in the direction of a compression axis under local enlargement of a distance between a peripheral implant surface and the compression axis. The implant includes a coupling-in face which serves for coupling a compressing force and the mechanical vibrations into the implant, which coupling-in face is not parallel to the compression axis. The implant also includes a thermoplastic material which, in areas of the local distance enlargement, forms at least a part of the peripheral surface of the implant.

A method and apparatus for coupling a soft tissue implant into a locking cavity formed within a bone. The method includes the following: implanting in bone a first anchor including a first suture construct connected to the first anchor; passing a first adjustable loop of the first suture construct at least one of over or through the soft tissue; coupling the first adjustable loop to one of a first locking feature of the first anchor or a second locking feature of a second anchor; adjusting the first adjustable loop by pulling a first end of the first suture construct; and securing the soft tissue against bone by pulling the first end of the first suture construct.

Techniques and reconstruction systems for soft tissue surgical repairs. The biceps tenodesis technique of the present invention provides fixation of a single diameter of the biceps tendon in a socket without the need for externalizing the tendon and without the need to pass any suture (or similar material) through any portion of the tendon (i.e., without the need to stitch or whipstitch any area/portion of the tendon). The technique improves the biomechanics of the combined fixation and helps overcome surgeons' concerns about rapid return to ADLs.

A method and apparatus for coupling a soft tissue implant into a locking cavity formed within a bone is disclosed. The apparatus includes a member to pull the soft tissue implant into a femoral tunnel. The member includes a suture having first and second ends which are passed through first and second openings associated with the longitudinal passage to form a pair of loops. A collapsible tube is positioned about the suture. Application of tension onto the suture construction causes retraction of the soft tissue implant into the femoral tunnel and the collapse of the tube to form an anchor.

Embodiments of the invention include methods and devices for securing a suture, graft, or other material to tissue with an anchor. The anchor of some embodiments includes an eyelet through which the suture, graft, or other material may be passed and mechanisms for selectively engaging the suture, graft, or other material through the eyelet. The mechanisms of some embodiments may also reinforce the anchor to provide a strengthened anchor to withstand actions such as impacting the anchor during insertion or applying bending stress to the anchor.

A suture anchor system comprising an anchor and an insert, and methods of use are provided. The anchor body has proximal and distal ends, and opposite first and second lateral sides extending between the proximal end and the distal end. A suture passage comprising a proximal surface and a distal surface extends through the anchor body from a first opening in the first lateral side to a second opening in the second lateral side. A channel extends along a longitudinal axis of the anchor body from a proximal opening in the proximal end of the anchor body to a distal opening in the proximal surface of the suture passage. The channel does not extend past the distal surface of the suture passage. The insert is configured to translate longitudinally within the channel between the proximal end of the anchor body and the distal surface of the suture passage.