Patent ID: 7883462

Claim:
A suture retainer comprising: a slot defined in a surgical instrument, the slot having a slot bottom, an opposing mouth and lateral slot ends; and a retainer block having a block bottom and lateral block ends corresponding to the slot bottom and lateral slot ends received in the slot, the lateral block ends and the lateral slot ends being configured to matingly engage to define a v-shaped gap having a linear length adjacent at least one of the lateral slot ends near the mouth of the slot, the v-shaped gap being configured to secure a linear length of a suture therein by engaging the linear length of suture inserted by lateral movement of the linear length of suture into the mouth of the V-shaped gap, wherein the lateral slot ends comprise an obtuse angle relative to the slot bottom and the lateral block ends comprise an obtuse angle relative to the block bottom substantially equal to the obtuse angle between the lateral slot ends and the slot bottom so that the retainer block fits snuggly within the slot, the lateral block ends further including a portion opposite the block bottom within a plane that is at an angle less than the obtuse angle relative to the block bottom to define the v-shaped gap.