Patent ID: 8409253

Claim:
A method for repairing a tear in a meniscus during arthroscopic knee procedure, the method comprising: inserting an inserter through the tear to an outer surface of the meniscus; pushing a proximal end of a first flexible member coupled to a flexible strand with a curved flexible end of a pusher against the proximal end, the pusher linearly moving in and along a longitudinal bore of the inserter; deploying the first flexible member from the longitudinal bore of the inserter on an outer surface of the meniscus; tensioning the flexible strand; changing the first flexible member from a first shape to a second shape for securing the flexible member on the outer surface; re-inserting the inserter through the tear to the outer surface of the meniscus at a position spaced apart from the first flexible member; retracting the curved flexible end of the pusher under a second flexible member coupled to the flexible strand, wherein the curved flexible end is straightened while retracted under the second flexible member; pushing the second flexible member using the curved flexible end of the pusher against a proximal end of the second flexible member; deploying the second flexible member from the inserter on the outer surface of the meniscus; changing the second flexible member from a first shape to a second shape; and reducing or closing the tear.