Bridgewater-based JAG-ONE Physical Therapy recently announced it is the first facility in the region to rehabilitate the BEAR Implant reconstruction surgery of anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, tears.
The BEAR Implant is the first medical advancement to enable the body to heal its torn ACL — a shift from the current standard of care, which is reconstruction that replaces the ACL with a graft.
It is the first innovation in ACL tear treatment in more than 30 years.
Yearly, approximately 400,000 ACL injuries occur in the U.S. A torn ACL does not heal without treatment, making ACL reconstruction one of the most common orthopedic procedures in the U.S. The procedure has drawbacks, as some procedures require two separate incisions, and some patients who undergo reconstruction are unable to return to the same level of daily activities.
“There are several advantages to restoring a ligament. The BEAR Implant is an exciting medical technology that is the first to clinically demonstrate that it enables healing of the patient’s torn ACL while maintaining the natural knee anatomy,” John Gallucci Jr., CEO and president of JAG-ONE Physical Therapy, stated. “We want patients to know that they are in good hands with our physical therapy staff during post-op treatment.”
Unlike reconstruction, the BEAR Implant does not require a second surgical wound site to remove a healthy tendon from another part of the leg or the use of a donor’s tendon. The BEAR Implant acts as a bridge to help the ends of the torn ACL heal together. The surgeon injects a small amount of the patient’s own blood into the implant and inserts it between the torn ends of the ACL in a minimally invasive procedure.
The combination of the BEAR Implant and the patient’s blood enables the body to heal the ACL back together while maintaining the ACL’s original attachments to the femur and tibia. As the ACL heals, the BEAR Implant is reabsorbed by the body, within approximately eight weeks.
