Tissue repair device and fabrication thereof

A method of making a, tissue repair device having a polymeric stopper member molded around an end of a flexible cord, comprising the steps of:

• providing a flexible cord having a first end and a second end, the first and second ends being flexible;
• providing a rod member;
• placing the rod member through the first end of the cord such that at least a section of the rod member is contained within the end of the cord;
• disposing the first flexible end of the cord with the rod member in a die cavity;
• providing a prefabricated polymer tube having an inner passage;
• disposing the prefabricated polymer tube in the die cavity so that it substantially surrounds the first end of the cord and the rod member;
• disposing a plunger in the die cavity adjacent to the polymer tube;
• heating the die cavity to a temperature sufficient to effectively completely melt the polymer tube, thereby producing melted polymer;
• moving the plunger axially in the die cavity in the direction of the first end of the cord and the rod, thereby forming a stopper member from the melted polymer about the first end of the cord and the rod member;
• and,
• and cooling the die cavity,
• wherein the cord, the rod and the stopper member are formed from biocompatible polymers selected from the group consisting of aliphatic polyesters, polyorthoesters, polyanhydrides, polycarbonates, polyurethanes, polyamides and polyalkylene oxides.