JAG-ONE Physical Therapy is reportedly the first practice in the Northeast region to rehabilitate the innovative BEAR Implant reconstruction surgery for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears. The BEAR Implant is a medical advancement designed to enable the body to heal its torn ACL. This new approach is a shift from the current standard of care – reconstruction that replaces the ACL with a graft.

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,” says John Gallucci Jr., president and CEO of JAG-ONE Physical Therapy. “We want patients to know that they are in good hands with our physical therapy staff during post-op treatment.”

During ACL reconstruction, surgeons completely remove the remaining torn ACL and reconstruct it with either a tendon from the patient’s leg (called an autograft) or a deceased donor (called an allograft). As with any surgery, ACL reconstruction has certain risks. About half of people who receive patellar tendon grafts experience pain while kneeling, and those who receive hamstring grafts have a persistent weakness of up to 50% deficit two years after surgery.

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.

The BEAR Implant was granted De Novo Approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is indicated for skeletally mature patients at least 14 years of age with a complete rupture of the ACL, as 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.

Patients should discuss their individual symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment with their surgeon. The BEAR Implant has the same potential medical/surgical complications as other orthopedic surgical procedures, including ACL reconstruction. These include the risk of re-tear, infection, knee pain, meniscus injury, and limited range of motion.

[Source(s): JAG-ONE Physical Therapy, PR Newswire]