Miach Ortho Rolls Out BEAR Implant in U.S.

Miach Orthopaedics, a company developing bio-engineered surgical implants for connective tissue repair, announced the BEAR Implant is now commercially available in select U.S. cities for the treatment of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, one of the most common knee injuries in the U.S. The BEAR Implant was also awarded a Popular Science Best of What’s New Award for representing a significant step forward in health.
 
The BEAR Implant is the first medical technology to clinically demonstrate that it enables healing of a patient’s torn ACL. It is a paradigm shift from the current standard of care—reconstruction that replaces the ACL with a graft.
 
“Patients will be very interested in having another option for treating ACL injuries. This is the first FDA-approved implant to clinically demonstrate that it enables healing of the patient’s native torn ACL while maintaining the natural knee anatomy,” said Dr. Jonathan L. Glashow, clinical assistant professor, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and chief medical advisor for the NJ Devils and Philadelphia 76ers. “I’m encouraged by the clinical studies that have demonstrated appropriate patients experienced faster recovery of muscle strength and higher satisfaction with regard to readiness to return to sport than others with traditional ACL reconstruction.”
 
The proprietary, bio-engineered BEAR Implant has several benefits over ACL reconstruction: It restores ACL quality and size similar to the non-injured ACL, results in faster recovery of muscle strength and has better patient satisfaction with being ready to return to sports. The BEAR Implant also does not require a graft, eliminating the need for a second wound site to heal and worries about donor graft quality or risk of disease.
 
“ACL tears are a common sports injury, no matter what you play or at what level, and they can be devastating for our players in the NFL,” said Dr. Thom Mayer, who serves as medical director for the NFL Players Association. “As a new treatment option with exciting benefits over traditional ACL reconstruction, I’m hopeful that the BEAR Implant can help people return to the sports and activities they love.”
 
Every year, approximately 400,000 ACL injuries occur in the U.S. A torn ACL does not heal on its own, resulting in ACL reconstruction being one of the most common orthopedic procedures in the U.S.
 
“We’ve been overwhelmed by the interest from patients who’ve torn their ACLs and are actively seeking an alternative to the current standard of care,” said Martha Shadan, president and CEO, Miach Orthopaedics. “We’re honored the BEAR Implant was selected by Popular Science as one of the best new health products of the year, and we are excited to make this innovative treatment available for patients.”