Soft tissue repair device and associated methods

1. A method for repairing a defect in soft tissue comprising:

positioning a tissue repair device having an inserter and a cannula adjacent to the defect in the soft tissue;

determining a depth of a distal end of the inserter to extend beyond a distal end of the cannula;

providing a depth limiter separate from the inserter and separate from the cannula;

installing the depth limiter over a shaft of the inserter between a handle of the inserter and a handle of the cannula for controlling the depth of the distal end of the inserter relative to the distal end of the cannula to the determined depth;

extending the distal end of the inserter beyond the distal end of the cannula to the determined depth; and

passing the distal end of the inserter into the soft tissue from a first side of the defect to a second side of the soft tissue until at least a portion of the distal end of the inserter exits the second side of the soft tissue, wherein an anchor carried on the distal end of the inserter is passed from the first side of the defect to the second side of the soft tissue.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the soft tissue is a meniscus and the defect is a tear in the meniscus.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second side of the soft tissue is an outer surface of the meniscus, and wherein the anchor is deployed at a location along the outer surface of the meniscus.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the inserter is a first inserter carrying a first anchor, and wherein said passing the distal end of the first inserter into the soft tissue from the first side of the defect to the second side of the soft tissue carries the first anchor through the defect and wherein a distal end of a second inserter is passed into the soft tissue from the first side of the defect to the second side of the soft tissue to carry a second anchor through the defect.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising tensioning a flexible strand coupled to the first and second anchors to compress the defect.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the flexible strand includes a slip knot and compressing the defect further includes tensioning the flexible strand between the two anchors with the slip knot.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein passing the distal end of the inserter into the soft tissue further includes positioning the distal end of the cannula adjacent the defect.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the anchor is passed from the first side of the defect to the second side of the soft tissue by an end of the anchor engaging an integral buttress extending from the distal portion of the inserter.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein passing the distal end of the inserter into the soft tissue further includes piercing the soft tissue with a sharp distal end of the inserter that extends beyond the anchor, where the anchor includes a first blunt end and a second blunt end.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the anchor is positioned between an integral buttress extending from the inserter and the sharp distal tip of the inserter and carried from the first side of the defect to the second side of the soft tissue by engaging a blunt end of the anchor with the integral buttress.

11. A method for repairing a defect in soft tissue comprising:

passing a distal end of a first inserter that carries a first anchor between a buttress and a distal piercing end of the first inserter into and through the soft tissue;

deploying the first anchor from the first inserter at a first location relative to the defect;

passing a distal end of a second inserter that carries a second anchor between a buttress and a distal end of the second inserter into and through the soft tissue;

deploying the second anchor from the second inserter at a second location relative to the defect; and

tensioning a flexible strand that couples the first anchor to the second anchor so as to compress the defect,

wherein the first anchor and the second anchor each comprise a flexible tube received on the flexible strand,

wherein the flexible strand provides a self-locking adjustable knotless loop, and wherein the flexible strand extends into an internal passage of the flexible strand at a first aperture, extends along the internal passage of the flexible strand and out of the flexible strand at a second aperture in the flexible strand to form the self-locking adjustable knotless loop.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising passing the distal end of the first inserter through a distal end of the cannula positioned adjacent the defect and passing the distal end of the second inserter through the distal end of the cannula positioned adjacent the defect.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the soft tissue is a meniscus and the defect is a tear in the meniscus and compressing the defect includes compressing the tear in the meniscus.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising making an incision in the patient near the meniscus and passing the cannula and first and second inserters through the incision to position the cannula and inserters adjacent the defect in the meniscus.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining a depth of the distal end of the first inserter to extend beyond the distal end of the cannula and positioning a depth limiter relative to the first inserter and the cannula to control the depth of the distal end of the first inserter relative to the distal end of the cannula.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein passing the distal end of the first inserter includes extending the distal end of the first inserter beyond the distal end of the cannula to the determined depth.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein positioning the depth limiter further includes positioning the depth limiter between a handle of the first inserter and a handle of the cannula to control the depth of the distal end of the first inserter relative to the distal end of the cannula.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first anchor is in a folded configuration on the distal end of the first inserter, and wherein the second anchor is in a folded configuration on the distal end of the second inserter.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first anchor is positioned proximal of the distal piercing end of the first inserter without the first inserter penetrating the first anchor, and wherein the second anchor is positioned proximal of the distal piercing end of the second inserter without the second inserter penetrating the second anchor.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first inserter and the second inserter are both unitary one-piece inserters.

21. A method for repairing a tear in a meniscus comprising:

advancing a first anchor carried on a distal end of a first inserter between a buttress and a distal piercing end of the first inserter out a distal end of a cannula;

pushing the first anchor through the meniscus with the first inserter;

retracting the first inserter into the cannula to deploy the first anchor at a first location on the meniscus;

advancing a second anchor carried on a distal end of a second inserter between a buttress and a distal piercing end of the second inserter out the distal end of the cannula;

pushing the second anchor through the meniscus with the second inserter;

retracting the second inserter into the cannula to deploy the second anchor at a second location on the meniscus; and

tensioning a flexible strand that couples the first anchor to the second anchor so as to repair the tear in the meniscus,

wherein the flexible strand provides a self-locking adjustable knotless loop, the flexible strand extending into an internal passage of the flexible strand at a first aperture, extending along the internal passage of the flexible strand and out of the flexible strand at a second aperture in the flexible strand to form the self-locking adjustable knotless loop,

wherein the first anchor is positioned proximal of the distal piercing end of the first inserter without the first inserter penetrating the first anchor, and wherein the second anchor is positioned proximal of the distal piercing end of the second inserter without the second inserter penetrating the second anchor.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the first anchor and the second anchor each comprise a flexible tube received on the flexible strand.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the first anchor is in a folded configuration on the distal end of the first inserter, and wherein the second anchor is in a folded configuration on the distal end of the second inserter.

24. The method of claim 21 , further comprising contacting a depth limiter with the first inserter upon advancing the first inserter out the distal end of the cannula.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein contacting the depth limiter further includes contacting the depth limiter positioned between a handle of the cannula and a handle of the first inserter.

26. The method of claim 21 , further comprising determining a depth of the distal end of the first inserter to extend beyond the distal end of the cannula and positioning a depth limiter relative to the first inserter and the cannula to control the depth of the distal end of the first inserter relative to the distal end of the cannula.

27. The method of claim 21 , wherein pushing the first anchor through the meniscus with the first inserter further includes pushing the first anchor through the meniscus with the first inserter until the distal end of the cannula is positioned adjacent the tear in the meniscus.

28. The method of claim 21 , wherein the first inserter and the second inserter are both unitary one-piece inserters.