Patent ID: 8241305

Claim:
A method for repairing a tear in a meniscus comprising: positioning at the meniscus a suture implantation device with a suture mounted thereto, the suture implantation device having a pointed tip including a first opening, a second opening, and a slot that extends between the first opening and the second opening across a distal portion of the tip, the suture threaded through the first opening and the second opening in the pointed tip; inserting the suture implantation device into the meniscus and the tear such that at least a portion of a distal end of the device and at least a portion of the suture pass through the meniscus and the tear, the pointed tip forming a first hole through the meniscus and the tear; actuating a first button of the device to move a first suture support mounted to the distal end from a retracted position to an extended position in which the first suture support extends from the distal end, the suture positioned to extend across the first suture support to the tip; actuating a second button of the device to move a first suture capturing device from a retracted position to an extended position in which the first suture capturing device extends from the distal end to form a second hole through the meniscus and the tear and passes through an opening in the suture support; returning the first suture capturing device to the retracted position from the extended position, the suture being captured by the suture capturing device and pulled through the second hole formed in the tear by the suture capturing device as the suture capturing device returns to the retracted position; withdrawing the device from within the meniscus such that the distal end passes back through the first hole, the suture exits the tip through the slot, and the suture remains within the meniscus such that it extends across the tear and is threaded through the first hole and the second hole, wherein the suture is pulled from within the pointed tip through the slot that extends between the first opening and the second opening when the device is withdrawn from the meniscus; and tightening the suture to close the tear and securing the suture in position.