Systems, devices and methods of repairing tendons and ligaments

A method of repairing a tendon comprising:

• obtaining four bidirectional barbed sutures configured to repair the tendon, each of the four bidirectional barbed sutures including a proximal section with proximal barbs that extend in a first direction and a proximal needle secured to a proximal end of the proximal section, a distal section with distal barbs that extend in a second direction that is opposite the first direction and a distal needle secured to a distal end of the distal section, and a stop located between the proximal and distal barbs;
• using the distal needle of a first one of the bidirectional barbed sutures to take a first suture bite in a distal tendon section and pulling the distal barbs of the first bidirectional barbed suture in a distal direction through the distal tendon section until the stop of the first bidirectional barbed suture abuts against a free end of the distal tendon section;
• using the distal needle of a second one of the bidirectional barbed sutures to take a second suture bite in the distal tendon section and pulling the distal barbs of the second bidirectional barbed suture in the distal direction through the distal tendon section until the stop of the second bidirectional barbed suture abuts against the free end of the distal tendon section;
• using the distal needle of a third one of the bidirectional barbed sutures to take a third suture bite in the distal tendon section and pulling the distal barbs of the third bidirectional barbed suture in the distal direction through the distal tendon section until the stop of the third bidirectional barbed suture abuts against the free end of the distal tendon section;
• using the distal needle of a fourth one of the bidirectional barbed sutures to take a fourth suture bite in the distal tendon section and pulling the distal barbs of the fourth bidirectional barbed suture in the distal direction through the distal tendon section until the stop of the fourth bidirectional barbed suture abuts against the free end of the distal tendon section;
• using the proximal needle of the first bidirectional barbed suture to take a fifth suture bite in a proximal tendon section and pulling the proximal barbs of the first bidirectional barbed suture in a proximal direction through the proximal tendon section;
• using the proximal needle of the second bidirectional barbed suture to take a sixth suture bite in the proximal tendon section and pulling the proximal barbs of the second bidirectional barbed suture in the proximal direction through the proximal tendon section;
• using the proximal needle of the third bidirectional barbed suture to take a seventh suture bite in the proximal tendon section and pulling the proximal barbs of the third bidirectional barbed suture in the proximal direction through the proximal tendon section;
• and
• using the proximal needle of the fourth bidirectional barbed suture to take an eighth suture bite in the proximal tendon section and pulling the proximal barbs of the fourth bidirectional barbed suture in the proximal direction through the proximal tendon section, wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth suture bites in the distal tendon section have a length of about 7 mm, and wherein the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eight suture bites in the proximal tendon section have a length of about 7 mm;
• using the distal needle of the first bidirectional barbed suture to take a ninth suture bite in the distal tendon section, and using the distal needle of the second bidirectional barbed suture to take a tenth suture bite in the distal tendon section, the distal needle of the third bidirectional barbed suture to take an eleventh suture bite in the distal tendon section, and the distal needle of the fourth bidirectional barbed suture to take a twelfth suture bite in the distal tendon section;
• and
• using the proximal needle of the first bidirectional barbed suture to take a thirteenth suture bite in the proximal tendon section, using the proximal needle of the second bidirectional barbed suture to take a fourteenth suture bite in the proximal tendon section, the proximal needle of the third bidirectional barbed suture to take a fifteenth suture bite in the proximal tendon section, and the proximal needle of the fourth bidirectional barbed suture to take a sixteenth suture bite in the proximal tendon section, wherein each of the ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth sutures bites has a length of about 5 mm.