Patent ID: 8449583

Claim:
A method of connecting a fastener apparatus with a patient's body tissue, said method comprising the steps of moving a first fastener assembly into a patient's body tissue with a distal end portion of the first fastener assembly leading, moving a second fastener assembly into a patient's body tissue with a distal end portion of the second fastener assembly leading, said step of moving a second fastener assembly into the patient's body tissue includes moving the distal end portion of the second fastener assembly through a portion of the first fastener assembly, extending the distal end portion of the first fastener assembly in the patient's body tissue, and extending the distal end portion of the second fastener assembly in the patient's body tissue while second fastener assembly extends through the first fastener assembly, said step of moving a first fastener assembly into a patient's body tissue includes moving a first sleeve into the patient's body tissue with a distal end portion of the first sleeve leading and moving at least a portion of a second sleeve axially through the first sleeve with a distal end portion of the second sleeve leading, said step of extending the distal end portion of the first fastener assembly in the patient's body tissue includes extending the distal end portion of the first sleeve in the patient's body tissue and extending the distal end portion of the second sleeve in the patient's body tissue, said step of moving a second fastener assembly into a patient's body tissue includes moving a third sleeve into the patient's body tissue with a distal end portion of the third sleeve leading, said step of moving a third sleeve into the patient's body tissue includes moving the distal end portion of the third sleeve through the first sleeve along a path which extends transverse to longitudinal axes of the first and second sleeves and extends through the longitudinal axes of the first and second sleeves, said step of extending the distal end portion of the second fastener assembly in the patient's body tissue includes extending the distal end portion of the third sleeve in the patient's body tissue.