Systems and methods for repairing soft tissues

An anchoring system for securing soft tissue to bone, comprising:

• a pre-loaded suture anchor deliverable arthroscopically into a tunnel formed in a bone, the pre-loaded suture anchor pre-loaded with a floating suture that extends away from the pre-loaded suture anchor for extending back out of the tunnel through an opening in an outer surface of the bone when the pre-loaded suture anchor is received in the tunnel;
• a single unitary piece of fiber material that is formed unconnected to the pre-loaded suture anchor, the single unitary piece of fiber material including a segment through which the floating suture extends to couple the single unitary piece of fiber material to the pre-loaded suture anchor, the single unitary piece of fiber material including a distal portion having a first width permitting the distal portion to be received in the tunnel along with the pre-loaded suture anchor, the single unitary piece of fiber material further including a proximal head portion that is to reside outside the tunnel sandwiched between the soft tissue and the bone in the form of a sheet for promoting a healing response between the soft tissue and the bone when the pre-loaded suture anchor is received in the tunnel, the proximal head portion having a second width that is wider than said first width;
• and
• a distal anchor element through which the floating suture extends to couple the distal anchor element to the pre-loaded suture anchor, the distal anchor element formed unconnected to the pre-loaded suture anchor, the distal anchor element also formed unconnected to the single unitary piece of fiber material, the distal anchor element receivable in the tunnel and positioned between the pre-loaded suture anchor and the segment of the single unitary piece of fiber material through which the floating suture extends so that the distal anchor element is able to provide a shield for portions of the single unitary piece of fiber material as the distal anchor element is being received in the tunnel.

An anchoring system for securing soft tissue to bone, comprising:

• a suture anchorable in a tunnel formed in a bone for extending back out of the tunnel in an anchored fashion through an opening in an outer surface of the bone;
• a single unitary piece of implant material that is formed from multiple fibers, the single unitary piece of implant material including a segment through which the suture extends to couple the single unitary piece of implant material to the suture, the single unitary piece of implant material including a distal portion having a first width permitting the distal portion to be received in the tunnel, the single unitary piece of implant material further including a proximal head portion that is to reside outside the tunnel sandwiched between the soft tissue and the bone in the form of a sheet for promoting a healing response between the soft tissue and the bone when the distal portion is received in the tunnel, the proximal head portion having a second width that is wider than said first width;
• a distal anchor element through which the suture extends to couple the distal anchor element to the suture, the distal anchor element formed unconnected to the single unitary piece of implant material, the distal anchor element receivable in the tunnel;
• and
• a proximal anchor element through which the suture extends to couple the proximal anchor element to the suture, the proximal anchor element formed unconnected to the single unitary piece of implant material, the proximal anchor element also formed unconnected to distal anchor element, the proximal anchor element receivable in the tunnel,
• wherein the segment of the single unitary piece of implant material through which the suture extends is positioned between the distal anchor element and the proximal anchor element so that the distal anchor element and the proximal anchor element are able to provide a shield for portions of the single unitary piece of implant material.