Patent ID: 8828054

Claim:
A method for securing a first object to a second object, the method comprising the steps of: providing a system comprising: a suture; at least two cleats, each cleat comprising: an elongated cylindrical body having a distal end, a proximal end, a longitudinal axis extending between the distal end and the proximal end, a cylindrical outer surface radially offset from the longitudinal axis, a first side having a distal slot opening on the cylindrical outer surface of the body and extending from the distal end of the body proximally along the longitudinal axis of the body, and a proximal slot opening on the cylindrical outer surface of the body and extending from the proximal end of the body distally along the longitudinal axis of the body, and a second side having a recess extending from a point removed from the distal end of the body to a point removed from the proximal end of the body, the recess being in communication with the distal slot and the proximal slot; the distal slot comprising a wide section extending from the distal end of the body and a narrow section extending from the wide section toward the proximal end of the body and terminating in the body, wherein the wide section has a width such that the suture is slidably accommodated therein and the narrow section has a width such that the suture is bound therein; wherein the suture is initially disposed within the body so that the suture extends from the proximal slot through the recess and out the wide section of the distal slot of each of the at least two cleats so that the suture is slidable relative to the at least two cleats; and an inserter, the inserter comprising a hollow elongated shaft having a sharp point disposed eccentric to the longitudinal axis of the hollow elongated shaft, and further wherein the suture and the at least two cleats are disposed within the lumen of the hollow elongated shaft; passing the inserter through the first object and the second object so that the sharp point of the inserter resides on the far side of the second object; ejecting the first cleat on the far side of the second object; withdrawing the inserter out of the first object and the second object; tensioning the suture so that the suture is drawn into the narrow section of the distal slot of the first cleat, whereby to bind the suture to the first cleat; moving the inserter to another location on the first object; passing the inserter back through the first object and the second object so that the sharp point of the inserter resides on the far side of the second object; ejecting the second cleat on the far side of the second object; withdrawing the inserter out of the first object and the second object; and tensioning the suture so that the suture is drawn into the narrow section of the distal slot of the second cleat, whereby to bind the suture to the second cleat.