There are 100,000 to 200,000 ACL tears in the United States each year and experts say that those numbers are rising in epidemic proportions. Dr. Pietropaoli and his team at Victory Sports Medicine and Orthopedics are combating this issue. Just last month, they performed a groundbreaking ACL repair surgery. It was the first of its kind in the United States.
Historically, when the ACL tears, it never heals on its own. For the last 40 years, ACL reconstruction has been the gold standard because its been said that “repairs don’t work,” Dr. Pietropaoli says.
Dr. Martha Murray at Boston Children’s Hospital developed the Bridge Enhance ACL Restoration (BEAR) procedure that allows the torn ends of the ACL to heal back together. A specialized “bridge” implant is sewn between the two ends of the ACL. This method has been shown to repair and regrow the ligament with similar positive results like a reconstruction, but without having to harvest tissue from a different area of the patient’s body. This results in a more “normal feeling” knee for the patient because the nerve supply is preserved. Recovery and pain is also shorter, he says.
Regardless of the groundbreaking procedure, Dr. Pietropaoli says that prevention is still the best treatment for ACL tears.
Victory Sports Medicine & Orthopedics offers orthopedic, sports medicine, rehabilitation, X-Ray, Open MRI, injury prevention, strength and conditioning, nutrition and wellness services in one convenient location. They’re located at 791 West Genesee Street in Skaneateles. To learn more, give them a call at 315-685-7544 or visit them online at VictorySportsMedicine.com.
