BEAR Implant

ACL Repair with the BEAR® Implant

At OrthoTeam Clinic Dr. Rawal is leading the way in the use of a breakthrough technology called the BEAR® Implant for treatment of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, one of the most common knee injuries in the U.S.

The BEAR Implant is the first disruptive technology in ACL tear treatment in more than 30 years. It is the first FDA-approved medical technology to enable healing of a torn ACL and restoration of the knee’s natural function. This novel implant represents a shift from the current standard of care, reconstruction, which replaces the torn ACL with a new graft, usually obtained from another part of the knee. With over a decade of scientific evidence, the BEAR implant has been extensively studied and its outcomes have been very impressive.

Every year, approximately 400,000 ACL injuries occur in the U.S. A torn ACL does not heal without treatment, resulting in ACL reconstruction being one of the most common orthopedic procedures in the U.S. Yet the procedure has drawbacks; some procedures require additional incisions to obtain a graft  from another part of the knee to be the ACL, and some people who undergo reconstruction are never able to return to the same level of daily activities or sports.

There are a number of advantages to restoring a ligament instead of replacing it, and this exciting medical technology is the first to enable the body to heal its own torn ACL while maintaining the natural knee function.

What does the procedure entail?

Unlike reconstruction, the BEAR Implant does not require a separate surgical incision to remove a healthy tendon from another part of the leg or using a graft from a cadaver. Instead, the implant acts as a bridge to help ends of the newly repaired ACL heal together.

The combination of the BEAR Implant with a repair of the original ACL enables the body to heal the torn ends of the ACL back together while maintaining the ACL’s original attachments to the femur and tibia. As the ACL heals, the BEAR Implant is resorbed by the body.

Who is the procedure for?

Dr. Rawal and his team may recommend the BEAR Implant if you are at least 14 years of age, skeletally mature and have a complete rupture of the ACL, as confirmed by MRI. Based on the type of tear, not all patients may meet the criteria for a repair with the BEAR implant.

What are the benefits?

When obtaining a graft for a new ACL is not needed, patients can have less pain and an accelerated recovery. About half of people who receive patellar tendon grafts experience pain while kneeling, and those who receive hamstring grafts have persistent weakness.  Since the BEAR Implant doesn’t involve a graft, these types of complications don’t occur.

Additionally, both ACL reconstruction approaches have an ACL re-tear rate as high as 20% for teens and as high as 9% for adults. If the ACL is re-injured, revisions to traditional ACL reconstruction can be complicated and can require multiple surgeries. Conversely, revisions with the BEAR Implant are easier and more predictive.

Unlike reconstruction, the BEAR implant does not require an additional surgical incision to remove a healthy tendon from another part of the leg or use of a cadaver graft.

If you’ve injured your ACL, call the OrthoTeam Clinic today to see if you might be a good candidate for ACL Repair with the BEAR Implant.