Methods are disclosed for attaching a suture to a bone. One exemplary method includes passing a portion of a suture through a bone so that a first portion of the suture extends from a first opening in the bone and a second portion of the suture extends from a second opening in the bone, passing the second portion of the suture through a portion of a suture anchor body in a proximal to distal direction, the suture anchor body having a proximal end and a distal end, passing the second portion of the suture alongside an outer surface of the suture anchor body in a distal to proximal direction, and then inserting the suture anchor into the bone through one of the first and second openings, the distal end being inserted first through the opening.

A suture anchor includes a tubular anchor body made of suture material, the tubular anchor body having a partially open distal tip and a bore extending through the tubular anchor body to a proximal end of the tubular anchor body and a suture woven from the distal tip and extending through the bore and exiting through the proximal end, the suture forming a suture loop outside of the distal tip. The tubular anchor body is configured such pulling an end of the suture at the proximal end causes the tubular anchor body to collapse.

Disclosed herein are methods and devices for securing soft tissue to a rigid material such as bone. A tissue capture anchor is described that includes an anchor body and a spreader such that tissue may be captured or compressed between outside surfaces on the anchor and spreader and inside surfaces of a bone hole to secure the tissue within the hole. A bone anchor is described that includes an anchor body with expandable tines and a spreader that expands the tines into bone. The spreader captures tissue via a suture loop at the distal end of the bone anchor. Also described is an inserter that can be used to insert the anchor into bone and move the spreader within the anchor to expand the anchor and capture the tissue between the anchor and the bone. Methods are described that allow the use of bone anchors to secure tissue to bone.

A system and method for making an orthopedic repair by fixing a soft tissue graft to bone, utilizes an implant including a body wedge having first and second outwardly expandable wedge portions, a wing portion having outwardly expandable wings, and a deployment member which is movable distally into the implant to deploy the wedge portions and the wings into an expanded deployed orientation.

A soft tissue fixation system, most typically applicable to orthopedic joint repairs, such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee repair procedures, comprises an implant which is placeable in a tunnel disposed in a portion of bone, wherein the tunnel is defined by walls comprised of bone. A first member is deployable outwardly to engage the tunnel walls for anchoring the implant in place in the tunnel, and a second member is deployable outwardly to engage tissue material to be fixed within the tunnel. The second member also functions to move the tissue material outwardly into contact with the tunnel walls to promote tendon-bone fixation. Extra graft length is eliminated by compression of the tendon against the bone at the aperture of the femoral tunnel, which more closely replicates the native ACL and increases graft stiffness. The inventive device provides high fixation of tendon to bone and active tendon-bone compression. Graft strength has been found to be greater than 1,000 N (Newtons), which is desirable for ACL reconstruction systems.

Methods and devices are provided for anchoring a ligament or tendon to bone. In one embodiment, a surgical implant is provided having a sheath and an expander that is received within the sheath. Various delivery tools, including a sheath inserter and a driver, are also provided. In use, the sheath inserter can be used to position a tendon within a prepared bone hole, and it can be used to deliver the sheath with a guidewire coupled thereto into the bone hole. The driver can be provided for delivering the expander into the sheath. A loader can optionally be used to load the driver and expander onto the guidewire coupled to the implanted sheath.

Systems and methods for fixating a graft in a bone tunnel are provided. In general, the system includes a tissue fixation device having a delivery configuration and a deployed configuration, at least one graft retention loop coupled to the tissue fixation device, and a drill pin having a sidewall surrounding a cavity at a proximal end of the pin and at least one longitudinally oriented opening in the sidewall in communication with the cavity, the cavity being configured to fully seat the tissue fixation device. The drill pin is configured to substantially contain therein the tissue fixation device when in the delivery configuration and to enable deployment of the tissue fixation device through the opening. Drill pins configured to contain a tissue fixation device are also provided.

Methods and devices for securing soft tissue to a rigid material such as bone. A tissue capture anchor is described that comprises an anchor body and a spreader such that tissue may be captured or compressed between outside surfaces on the anchor and spreader and inside surfaces of a bone hole to secure the tissue within the hole. A bone anchor is described that comprises an anchor body with expandable tines and a spreader that expands the tines into bone. The spreader captures tissue via a suture loop at the distal end of the bone anchor. Also described is an inserter that can be used to insert the anchor into bone and move the spreader within the anchor to expand the anchor and capture the tissue between the anchor and the bone. Methods are described that allow use of single bone anchor to secure tissue to bone or also to use more than one bone anchor to provide multiple lengths of suture material to compress a large area of soft tissue against bone.

A biocompatible, biodegradable surgical fastening device employs opposed engagement surfaces having receptacles and protrusions, in which the receptacles are responsive to the protrusions on the opposed engagement surface. The fastening device has a generally planar construction defining the engagement surface, such that each engagement surface has a proximate end for engaging the opposed engagement surface, and a distal end for attachment to an anatomical structure. The distal end of two devices each connect to anatomical structures to be joined, and the engagement surfaces joined to each other at the proximate end to complete the repair. The distal end of the engagement surface defines a flexible attachment portion having a lateral attachment width, the lateral width configured for securement to the anatomical structure across a nonlinear disposition of the lateral width. The flexible lateral width conforms around an irregular shape of an anatomical structure such as a tendon, ligament or bone.

Tissue repair systems which use knotless all-suture anchors and have the ability to lock multiple repair sutures within the anchor construct. The anchor construct includes a tension suture wrapped or looped upon itself to create an open eyelet, through which multiple repair sutures originating in soft tissue are passed. The location of the eyelet may be anywhere inside the all-suture anchor or adjacent to the exterior of the anchor body. Tensioning of the tension suture causes the eyelet to restrict movement of the repair sutures and secures them within or against the anchor body.