Singing River Health System offering new, innovative ACL treatment

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - Singing River Health System is the first in Mississippi to offer innovative Bridge Enhanced ACL Repair, or BEAR Implants to treat ACL tears.

Every year, approximately 400,000 ACL injuries occur in the U.S. During a normal ACL reconstruction, the surgeon completely removes the remaining torn ACL and reconstructs it with either a tendon from the patient’s own leg or a deceased donor.

The BEAR Implant is the first FDA approved medical device that enables the body to heal its own torn ACL. Officials say the treatment also results in a faster recovery of muscle strength.

Singing River orthopedic surgeon Dr. Phillip Myers says the new technology will be beneficial for patients, especially athletes.

“The new BEAR procedure has certainly helped people to this point get back into the game certainly just as quick if not a little quicker without having the morbidity of having to have a tendon harvested from their own body,” Dr. Myers said. “I think from an athletic perspective, it’s a no-brainer, and I think it completely changes the game when it comes to ACL repair versus having to reconstruct the whole ACL again.”

During a BEAR Implant procedure, 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. SRHS says this is a minimally invasive procedure.

The combination of the BEAR Implant and the patient’s blood 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 within approximately eight weeks.

To learn more about the new treatment, visit singingriverhealthsystem.com.

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