Apparatus and methods for positioning and securing anchors

A surgical cinching assembly comprising:

• a tubular body having a first end opening, a second end opening, and a tapered interior surface between the first end and the second end;
• a suture extending through the body;
• a ball movable within the body, the ball having a diameter greater than first end opening and less than the second end opening;
• an end cap in the first end opening, the end cap having hole with a diameter greater than the suture and less than the ball.
• the first end to resist movement of the suture in a first direction via the ball friction locking the suture against the conically tapered interior surface of the body.

A surgical cinching assembly, comprising:

• a proximal hypotube concentrically disposed within a proximal end of a body hypotube;
• a distal hypotube disposed within a distal end of the body hypotube;
• a ball in the body hypotube;
• a suture extending freely through the proximal, body and distal hypotubes;
• the body hypotube having a body lumen having a diameter greater than the ball;
• the proximal hypotube having a proximal lumen;
• the distal hypotube having a distal lumen, with the proximal lumen and the distal lumen each have a section having diameter greater than the suture and less than the ball.
• a crimp in the body hypotube and the distal hypotube, the crimp locally reducing the diameters of body lumen and the distal lumen;
• the ball and suture disposed within the body lumen in a manner that allows free proximal movement of suture, and with the ball friction locking suture between ball and crimp during distal movement of the suture.