Sean McMillan, DO, became the first surgeon to use the Bear anterior cruciate ligament implant in New Jersey, ROI-NJ reported Feb. 3.
Dr. McMillan, of Virtua Orthopedics-Cherry Hill, operated on a 20-year-old woman. The Bear implant acts as a bridge to help a torn ACL heal. The patient's blood is injected into the implant, and the ACL can fuse while maintaining its original attachments to the femur and tibia, according to the report.
"The ability to save a patient’s ligament rather than replace it has many advantages," Dr. McMillan said in the report. "Encouraging clinical studies have shown faster recovery of muscle strength and higher patient satisfaction, which makes the Bear implant especially ideal for younger athletes."