Abstract: The suture retainer according to one aspect of the invention has a retainer body, a suture attachment mechanism (such as a pair of teeth) adapted to hold a suture strand at an attachment point and a suture guide mechanism adapted to maintain an angle between the suture strand and the suture attachment mechanism. Another aspect of the invention provides a method of securing a suture in a suture retainer, including the following steps: providing a suture retainer comprising a retainer body and a suture attachment mechanism; contacting a suture strand with a suture guide to maintain an angle between the suture strand and the suture attachment mechanism; and attaching the suture strand to the retainer body at the suture attachment mechanism.