Surgical suture system, tissue restraints, and tissue anchors

In a surgical suture system for tissue repair and reattachment of torn tissue to a tissue substrate or medical, veterinary or dental implant including an elongated flexible suture having a plurality of longitudinally spaced protuberances along a length thereof, the improvement comprising:

• a tissue restraint/suture capture comprising a body defining an inlet side and an exit side;
• a central locking aperture disposed in a central region of said body;
• a plurality of spaced apart radial slots extending outwardly from said central locking aperture for defining a plurality of flex arms;
• an inner end of each of said plurality of flex arms defining said central locking aperture;
• a plurality of elongated flex arm slots defining outer ends of said plurality of flex arms;
• each of said plurality of flex arms decreasing in axial thickness from said outer end to said inner end of said flex arm and with each of said plurality of flex arms increasing in radial thickness from said inlet side to said exit side of said body for defining said central locking aperture with said inlet side being substantially larger than the longitudinally spaced protuberances and with said exit side being substantially smaller than the longitudinally spaced protuberances;
• said plurality of flex arms cooperating with said inlet side of said central locking aperture enabling said plurality of flex arms to flex outwardly to permit entrance and longitudinal movement of the plurality of longitudinally spaced protuberances of the suture in a forward direction into said inlet side of said central locking aperture with minimal force;
• and
• said plurality of flex arms cooperating with said exit side of said central locking aperture enabling said plurality of flex arms to flex inwardly to inhibit the movement of the plurality of longitudinally spaced protuberances of the suture in a reverse direction.

In a surgical suture system for tissue repair and reattachment of torn tissue to a tissue substrate or medical, veterinary or dental implant including an elongated flexible suture having a plurality of longitudinally spaced protuberances along a length thereof, the improvement comprising:

• a tissue restraint suture capture comprising a body defining an inlet side and an exit side;
• a central locking aperture disposed in a central region of said body;
• a plurality of spaced apart radial slots extending outwardly from said central locking aperture for defining a plurality of flex arms;
• each of said flex arms extending from an inner end of said flex arm defining said central locking aperture to an outer end;
• each of said inner ends of said flex arms curving radially inwardly from said inlet side to said exit side of said body for increasing a radial thickness of each of said flex arms from said inlet side to said exit side of said body for defining said central locking aperture with said inlet side being substantially larger than said exit side of said central locking aperture;
• said flex arms cooperating with said inlet side of said central locking aperture enabling said flex arms to flex outwardly to permit entrance and longitudinal movement of the plurality of longitudinally spaced protuberances of the suture in a forward direction into said inlet side of said central locking aperture with minimal force;
• and
• said flex arms cooperating with said exit side of said central locking aperture enabling said flex arms to flex inwardly to inhibit the movement of the plurality of longitudinally spaced protuberances of the suture in a reverse direction.

In a surgical suture system for tissue repair and reattachment of torn tissue to a tissue substrate or medical, veterinary or dental implant including an elongated flexible suture having a plurality of longitudinally spaced protuberances along a length thereof, the improvement comprising:

• a tissue restraint/suture capture comprising a body defining an inlet side and an exit side;
• a central locking aperture disposed in a central region of said body;
• a plurality of spaced apart radial slots extending outwardly from said central locking aperture for defining a plurality of flex arms;
• each of said flex arms extending from an inner end of said flex arm defining said central locking aperture to an outer end;
• each of said flex arms having a greater radial thickness at said exit side of said body relative to the radial thickness at said inlet side of said body for defining said central locking aperture with said inlet side being substantially larger than said exit side of said central locking aperture;
• said flex arms cooperating with said inlet side of said central locking aperture enabling said flex arms to flex outwardly to permit entrance and longitudinal movement of the plurality of longitudinally spaced protuberances of the suture in a forward direction into said inlet side of said central locking aperture with minimal force;
• and
• said flex arms cooperating with said exit side of said central locking aperture enabling said flex arms to flex inwardly to inhibit the movement of the plurality of longitudinally spaced protuberances of the suture in a reverse direction.