Less Invasive Surgical Treatment to Repair Torn ACLs is Now Offered to Children as Young as Age 10 at All Four North Jersey Offices
CEDAR KNOLLS, N.J., July 18, 2022 – An innovative surgery to repair anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears in the knee – an injury common among young athletes – is now available to patients at The Pediatric Orthopedic Center (“TPOC”). TPOC, which exclusively treats children from infancy through their teens, is the first pediatric orthopedic practice in the New York Tri-State region (New Jersey, New York City and the Philadelphia area) to offer the BEAR® (Bridge-Enhanced® ACL Restoration) procedure to select pediatric patients. TPOC is also among the first orthopedic practices in New Jersey to perform the procedure on patients of any age.
“Pioneered by specialists at Boston Children’s Hospital and recently FDA-approved, BEAR restoration is a less invasive way to repair a torn ACL with outcomes equivalent to traditional more-invasive orthopedic reconstruction methods. Our orthopedic surgeons have been exclusively trained in the surgical procedure so we can offer it to our pediatric patients at all our centers,” said Dr. David Lin. “Our practice has subspecialty interests in treating youth athletes, who often suffer ACL tears due to twisting or pivoting knee injuries, so we are excited to offer this latest treatment to our patients, some as young as 14 years old. The BEAR technique is another tool we have in our tool box in providing personalized treatment for this common injury.”
BEAR vs. Traditional ACL Repair
The ACL connects the end of the femur to the top of the tibia within the knee and is the primary stabilizer to the joint. A child’s ACL can be torn partially or completely when there is a sudden planting and twisting injury, or less frequently, a collision event during daily play or in popular sports, such as soccer, lacrosse, football, hockey, basketball, or downhill skiing. Interestingly, female athletes are more prone to tear their ACLs when compared to male athletes due to various reasons.
With BEAR restoration, the ACL tear is reattached rather than removing and excising it; the orthopedic surgeon stitches the tear and re-approximates the ligament back into its native alignment. A bioengineered cylindrical sponge made from purified bovine collagen is placed on the repaired ligament and is saturated with the patient’s own blood. This implant then creates a healing environment and promotes tissue growth to reconnect and re-attach the ligament back to the bone. BEAR poses no risk to the child’s growth plates that may cause a growth deformity, making it possible to perform an ACL repair safely on young patients whose bones are still growing.
“The BEAR procedure is less invasive than traditional surgery, since we are not harvesting tissue graft from another part of the knee in the patient as a replacement. The collagen implant is doing the work for us,” noted Dr. Mark Rieger. “The patient is more comfortable after BEAR surgery, which offers the same post-surgical outcome for repair as traditional ACL surgery, with a high level of safety for the child.”
About The Pediatric Orthopedic Center
The Pediatric Orthopedic Center is the largest pediatric orthopedic practice in New Jersey and among the largest private pediatric orthopedic practices in the United Sates, with offices located in Cedar Knolls, Wayne, Jersey City and Springfield. It is the only pediatric orthopedic practice in N.J. that provides an urgent care center with evening and Saturday hours. The practice specializes in youth and adolescent sports, trauma, spine deformities, hip disorders, congenital defects, growth disturbances, and foot and ankle surgery. It features seven BC/BE and fellowship-trained pediatric orthopedists, a pediatric specialized foot and ankle specialist, and a nationally certified orthopedic physician assistant. For more information, visit: pediatricorthopedics.com.
