A tissue anchor comprising: a generally flexible elongate continuous anchor member capable of being inserted through tissue and moving between an elongate configuration and a shortened configuration suitable for anchoring against at least one side of the tissue, the anchor member having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, wherein the anchor member has a first set of openings and a second set of openings formed therein at spaced locations along a length of the anchor member; and a tensioning member operatively connected to the anchor member such that the anchor member can slide relative to the tensioning member, the tensioning member extending through the proximal end portion to the distal end portion by passing through the first set of openings and then back to an anchor point at the proximal end portion by passing through the second set of openings, the tensioning member capable of causing the anchor member to transform from the elongate configuration to the shortened configuration, wherein the anchor member can compress along a length thereof and thereby adjust to a thickness of the tissue; wherein the anchor member is configured to form a plurality of folded panels upon pulling the tensioning member, the tissue anchor being characterized in that when the anchor member is in the shortened configuration, the plurality of folded panels comprises a set of first panels that are oriented in a first direction and a set of second panels that are oriented in a second direction that is perpendicular to the folded set of first panels and in that the anchor member includes at least one first transitional fold line formed within the distal end portion and a plurality of second fold lines formed both within the proximal and distal end portions, the second fold lines having a different orientation than the at least one first transitional fold line to cause the anchor member to have a change in a folding direction along the distal end portion and relative to folding of an adjacent section of the distal end portion and the proximal end portion upon pulling the tensioning member. a generally flexible elongate continuous anchor member capable of being inserted through tissue and moving between an elongate configuration and a shortened configuration suitable for anchoring against at least one side of the tissue, the anchor member having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, wherein the anchor member has a first set of openings and a second set of openings formed therein at spaced locations along a length of the anchor member; and a tensioning member operatively connected to the anchor member such that the anchor member can slide relative to the tensioning member, the tensioning member extending through the proximal end portion to the distal end portion by passing through the first set of openings and then back to an anchor point at the proximal end portion by passing through the second set of openings, the tensioning member capable of causing the anchor member to transform from the elongate configuration to the shortened configuration, wherein the anchor member can compress along a length thereof and thereby adjust to a thickness of the tissue; wherein the anchor member is configured to form a plurality of folded panels upon pulling the tensioning member, the tissue anchor being characterized in that when the anchor member is in the shortened configuration, the plurality of folded panels comprises a set of first panels that are oriented in a first direction and a set of second panels that are oriented in a second direction that is perpendicular to the folded set of first panels and in that the anchor member includes at least one first transitional fold line formed within the distal end portion and a plurality of second fold lines formed both within the proximal and distal end portions, the second fold lines having a different orientation than the at least one first transitional fold line to cause the anchor member to have a change in a folding direction along the distal end portion and relative to folding of an adjacent section of the distal end portion and the proximal end portion upon pulling the tensioning member.