Bridge Enhanced ACL Restoration (BEAR Implant)

The BEAR Implant is the first medical advancement to enable your body to heal its own torn ACL. The implant is made of collagen and is resorbed by your body within eight weeks of surgery.

Benefits of the BEAR Implant include:

  • Helps your ACL heal itself using autologous blood products
  • Faster recovery of muscle strength
  • Retains normal anatomy and function of the knee
  • Simple outpatient procedure at Lowcountry Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Outpatient Surgery Center
  • It does not require the removal of a healthy tendon from another part of your body to use for replacement
  • Fast return to sports for athletes
  • Highly skilled sports medicine surgeon

What is the recovery time for the BEAR Implant?

The BEAR Implant rehabilitation protocol differs from ACL reconstruction, but overall recovery time is similar. Return to high levels of activity and sports is usually around nine months after surgery, similar to ACL reconstruction.

How does the BEAR Implant work?

The BEAR Implant works with your own blood to heal the torn ends of your ACL back together. During the procedure, the ACL surgeon adds your own blood to the BEAR Implant and inserts it between the torn ends of your ACL. The implant holds and protects the blood to allow the formation of a clot. Over the next eight weeks, the BEAR Implant is resorbed by your body and replaced with native ACL tissue.

How is the BEAR Implant different from ACL reconstruction?

ACL tears are often treated with ACL reconstruction, also known as ACL replacement surgery. During ACL reconstruction, an orthopedic surgeon removes the torn ACL and replaces it with a graft from another part of the body (called an autograft) or a deceased donor (called an allograft).

Although ACL reconstruction is effective, the procedure has drawbacks. When a graft is taken from the knee, many patients experience long-term knee pain. And when a graft is taken from the hamstring, patients may have persistent weakness in that muscle. Regardless of the type of graft, many people are unable to return to the same level of daily activities or sports.

Can anyone get the BEAR Implant?

We recommend scheduling a consultation with Lowcountry Orthopaedics sports medicine surgeons to see if you are a candidate. Candidate for the BEAR Implant should meet these three criteria:

  1. Be 14 years of age or older and skeletally mature
  2. Have a complete rupture of the ACL confirmed by an MRI
  3. Can undergo surgery within 50 days of tearing the ACL

Do all orthopedic surgeons offer the BEAR Implant?

The BEAR Implant is available in select cities across the U.S. Dr. David Johannesmeyer is the first sports medicine surgeon to perform a BEAR Implant ACL Repair.

Is the BEAR Implant Safe?

The BEAR Implant from Miach Orthopaedics was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December 2020. It is indicated for skeletally mature patients at least 14 years of age with a complete rupture of the ACL confirmed by MRI. Patients must have an ACL stump attached to the tibia to facilitate the restoration. The BEAR device must be implanted within 50 days of injury. If the candidacy criteria are met, the BEAR Implant is a safe, new technique that promotes the patient’s ability to heal and regenerate healthy tissue.

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