Various embodiments of a cartridge for loading a suture onto a suturing instrument are disclosed. In some embodiments, the cartridge is operable for loading a pre-tied knot formed from the suture onto the suturing instrument. The suturing instrument is typically of the type having a suture passing member defining a suture receiving passage therein. In some embodiments, the cartridge comprises a housing defining a chamber, and a partially pre-tied knot mounted about the housing or the chamber. The cartridge additionally provides a base coupled to the housing, the base defining a seat for releasably holding a portion of a suture to be aligned with, and. transferred to, the suturing instrument. The portion of the suture may be held independently, or it may be coupled to a component such as a ferrule or shuttle.

The present disclosure concerns a surgical instrument for manipulating suture. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an instrument for passing suture through tissue. There is described a surgical instrument having a shaft and a handle connected to the proximal end of the shaft. The shaft is formed from a tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end, with a lumen extending between the proximal and distal ends, and a tip distal to the tubular member. The shaft also includes a distal portion having an opening in a sidewall, proximal to the tip. The opening is in communication with the lumen through a side channel. The instrument further includes a suture snare, the snare being slidably receivable within the lumen and side channel, and movable between extended and retracted positions for capturing suture.

Methods for repairing a meniscus, and particularly a torn meniscus. A method of repairing a meniscus may include using a suture passer to pass a suturing element from the region between the superior surface of the meniscus and the femoral condyle, through the meniscus tissue, into the region between the inferior surface of the meniscus and the tibial plateau, across the inferior surface of the meniscus, and back to the superior surface of the meniscus, without deeply penetrating the posterior capsular region of the knee. Equivalently, the suture element may be passed from the inferior surface of the meniscus to the superior surface and back to the inferior surface.

A surgical suturing device including a needle assembly having a needle housing and a needle with an elongated rod that slides inside of the needle housing and has a notch at its proximal end. The handle assembly includes a longitudinal handle housing sized and configured to releasably receive the needle assembly, a thumb slide assembly movable longitudinally on the handle housing, a needle latch connected to the thumb slide assembly and having a releasable latching relationship with the notch of the needle rod, a locking lever pivotally connected to the handle housing that releasably engages a depression on an exterior of the needle housing, and a locking lever latch makes contact with the locking lever and holds it the locking position.

Components and associated methods of manufacture or assembly and/or use for bone and joint stabilization devices or systems are described. Details hereof focus on features of the subject anchoring heads, spring members and associated handling features, delivery devices and/or kitted systems.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an end effector for use with a surgical device is provided. The end effector includes a driver, a clip assembly, a needle assembly, and biasing element. The clip assembly is disposed in mechanical cooperation with the driver. Rotation of the driver results in longitudinal translation of the clip assembly. The needle assembly is selectively engaged with the clip assembly. The biasing element is disposed in mechanical cooperation with the needle assembly and is configured to bias the needle assembly proximally.

A suture passing device includes a jaw assembly that is moved to an open configuration after exiting a hollow needle distal tip and moved to a closed configuration when retracted into the needle tip. The jaw assembly may include a pair of jaw members biased to a default diverging configuration. A suture capturing mechanism formed on the jaw members securely captures suture to both push and pull the captured when the jaw assembly is retracted into the hollow distal tip. The device may also include a second suture capturing mechanism that loosely captures suture and enables the captured suture to slide.

A suturing system and a method thereof are provided. The suturing system includes a tube that has a first rod moveable therein and a second rod that is coupled to an outer surface of the tube. A needle is coupled to an end of the tube and includes an insertion portion. In addition, a suture lock is inserted onto the second rod and a first end of a suture engages with a tip of the needle or the tube. A second end of the suture is fixed within the suture lock. The insertion portion is engaged with the first end of the suture prior to insertion through the material. The suturing system allows for single handed operation, thus simplifying a suturing process while improving accuracy.

Disclosed herein is a combination suture passer and grasper instrument having a needle which can deliver a suture to a repair site, and then use deformable wire arms to capture the suture and drag it into a hollow interior of the needle, thus eliminating the need for two separate instruments.

Described herein are reusable surgical needles having a resiliently collapsible rear loop that captures a suture as it is passed through an object and resiliently expands upon exiting the object to release the suture. Also described are suture spool assemblies that comprise a rigid housing and a rotatable spool of suture material suspended within the housing so that a plurality of sutures can be dispensed from the assembly in succession during a surgery. Also described are annular pledgets having diametrical dimensions similar to an outer ring of a cardiac implant such that a single annular pledget can be used with a plurality of sutures that secure the cardiac implant to native tissue around the perimeter of the cardiac implant. Related methods of suturing cardiac implants are also disclosed.