St. Mary Medical Center is now the first healthcare center in Bucks County to offer the BEAR Implant for treatment of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears.

The BEAR Implant is the first medical advancement to enable the body to heal its own torn ACL. This new approach is a paradigm shift from the current standard of care–reconstruction that replaces the ACL with a graft–and is the first innovation in ACL tear treatment in more than 30 years.

“There are a number of advantages to restoring a ligament instead of replacing it,” says Dinesh Dhanaraj, a surgeon with St. Mary Orthopaedics at St. Mary Medical Center. “The BEAR Implant is an exciting medical technology and the first to clinically demonstrate that for candidates of the procedure, it enables healing of the patient’s torn ACL while maintaining the natural knee anatomy.”

During an 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.

“Encouraging clinical studies of the BEAR Implant have shown faster recovery of muscle strength and higher patient satisfaction with regard to readiness to return to sport than traditional ACL reconstruction, which is the standard of care today.”

Learn more about this new and innovative treatment at St. Mary Medical Center.

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