Last week, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) held its annual meeting in Nashville, TN. At the event, Dr. Brian Lau and Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein of Duke University presented the two-year results of the Bridge Registry on the BEAR® Implant for ACL injuries.
Key Bridge Registry Findings Presented at AOSSM
Retear Rate (first 100 patients):
- Overall: 5%
- Ages 19 and older: 4% (3 out of 74)
- Ages 18 and under: 8% (2 out of 26)
Functional and Stability Outcomes:
- Knee function assessed by the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective score at two years
- Knee stability measured by the Lachman test at one year
Registry Enrollment:
As of July 2025, 300 patients from leading U.S. orthopedic centers have enrolled at the following sites:
- AdventHealth (Florida) – Dr. Sean Keyes and Dr. Daryl Osbahr
- Boston Children’s Hospital (Massachusetts) – Dr. Dennis Kramer
- Duke University (North Carolina) – Dr. Brian Lau, Dr. Dean Taylor and Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein
- Hospital for Special Surgery (New York) – Dr. Greg DiFelice, Dr. Andreas Gomoll and Dr. Sabrina Strickland
- Oregon Health and Science University (Oregon) – Dr. Jacqueline Brady
- Stanford University School of Medicine (California) – Dr. Seth Sherman
- Steamboat Orthopaedic & Spine Institute (Colorado) – Dr. Alex Meininger
- Victory in Motion / Auburn Community Hospital (New York) – Dr. Marc Pietropaoli
- Virtua Health (New Jersey) – Dr. Sean McMillan
Dr. Jacqueline Brady and Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein are co-principal investigators with me, assessing the real-world outcomes for the BEAR implant. The BEAR Implant offers an approach for ACL healing that preserves native knee anatomy, eliminating the need for a tendon graft. Our data shows encouraging results with low re-tear rates and meaningful functional recovery.
An Evolving Practice
It’s critical that we rigorously study new technologies as they move from clinical trials to broader practice. Real-world use can bring changes in surgical technique, suture materials, and fixation approaches, which is why ongoing registry work is so important. These data help us ensure that innovations truly benefit the wide spectrum of patients we see every day.
I look forward to sharing further updates as we continue enrolling patients and collecting long-term outcomes from the Bridge Registry.
Read the press release: Real-World Evidence for Miach Orthopaedics’ BEAR® Implant Highlighted at AOSSM 2025.
Photo of Nashville, Tennessee, where AOSSM was held, by mana5280 on Unsplash.