A tissue fastener comprises a shaft having a member disposed thereon for lodging the shaft within the tissue, the shaft having a region that is relatively flexible to render a tissue engaging head disposed at a proximal end of the shaft movable with respect to the shaft. In one embodiment, the region comprises substantially an entire length of the shaft and is made from flexible material, such as a mesh, onto which the member and the head are molded. In another embodiment, the shaft comprises generally rigid material, and the region comprises a flexible joint between the shaft and the head. The flexible joint comprises a breakable (e.g., frangible) section of the shaft, and a flexible member (e.g., a plurality of filaments or a flexible tube) extends between the shaft and the head past the breakable section.