55-year-old Tim Braun is an accomplished downhill skier who has skied for over 47 years without any injuries. After suddenly tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during the winter 2023 ski season, he was determined to get back to skiing as quickly as possible. Fortunately, Tim’s son was a physical therapist familiar with the various ACL surgery methods and introduced Tim to the BEAR^® Implant. We spoke with Tim and Dr. Sabrina Strickland, his sports medicine and orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) location in New York City, about why Tim chose the BEAR Implant, how rehab went and his triumphant return to skiing.

Q: How did you tear your ACL?

Tim: I had one fall last season, and it happened on a day where the snow was heavy and wet. Due to the mountain conditions, my ski dug in when I fell, and I twisted my right knee. I knew I strained my knee but didn’t know to what extent, since I wasn’t in much pain and only had minor swelling. I went to physical therapy the following week and I decided to get an MRI two weeks later to confirm it was healing. However, the MRI actually showed I tore my ACL, meniscus and had some bone bruising. I was in shock because I was in the middle of putting my skis in the truck to go skiing the next week when I received the call from the doctor. After hearing the news, I knew that it wasn’t a matter of if I would return, but rather when I would return to skiing, and I was determined to get back and see what technology could help me get there.

Q: How did you learn about the BEAR Implant? What made you decide it was the right choice for you?

Tim: I am fortunate that my son is a physical therapist and through his role, he had built a podcast interviewing surgeons and professional athletes. He had happened to do a podcast a few months before my injury with Dr. Strickland, and he was familiar with the BEAR Implant as an alternative to traditional ACL reconstruction (ACLR) surgery. With his guidance, I started researching the BEAR Implant. I loved that it was less intrusive, and the recovery process was appealing to me because I wouldn’t have to rehab two different parts of my body. I was excited to work with Dr. Strickland even though she is located three hours away from me because she’s a world-renowned surgeon and she also happened to be a skier. I wanted to get back to my level of competitiveness with skiing and felt the BEAR Implant would give me the best shot.

Q: Why was Tim a good candidate for the BEAR Implant?

Dr. Strickland: He had the right kind of ACL tear, the right motivation to do his rehab and appropriate expectations regarding getting back to sports.

Q: Why do you recommend the BEAR Implant to patients like Tim? What unique considerations are there for athletes like Tim when it comes to the BEAR Implant vs. ACLR?

Dr. Strickland: The BEAR Implant is an exciting new technology with good outcomes in its clinical trials, especially for patients over 18. When considering the BEAR Implant, the type of ACL tear and the quality of tissue are important because you need the tissue to hold sutures so that you can suture the ACL back to its attachment site.

Q: Tell us about rehab.

Tim: Prior to getting the BEAR Implant, I completed four weeks of pre-surgery physical therapy and a 15-mile bike ride to keep me active. After getting the procedure and starting rehab, it went even better than I was expecting. During the 58 days between injury and surgery, my meniscus tear actually self-healed so I didn’t need any meniscus removal. I followed the BEAR Implant rehab protocol and after two weeks, even my physical therapist was shocked at how quickly I was regaining muscle strength. By two months, I was able to walk around very comfortably without any swelling or pain.

While I was going through rehab, there were four other ACLR patients doing rehab alongside me. Two of them were recovering well, and one was really struggling. When I compared what I was able do week after week and at three months post-surgery compared to the ACLR patients, I had a significant difference in my progress and was able to do jumping and more strenuous activities by the six-month mark. By the end of rehab, my BEAR Implant knee was stronger than it was pre-surgery, and I actually discovered a new passion for structured gym activities.

Dr. Strickland: Tim worked hard and followed directions!

Q: Can you tell us about your return to sport experience?

Tim: I have been skiing for 47 years and at 55-years old, I’m still really enjoying my time on the slopes. After I tore my ACL, my goal was to get back to the level of confidence and challenging ski terrain I’m used to. I was cleared to return to sport and skiing after nine months post-surgery, and the next day, I put the brace on and hit the slopes. I was nervous and excited to get back out there, but there was a little voice in my head cautioning me that it was still possible to get reinjured. I felt very confident in my knee joint and decided to ski a blue run first and then hit the black diamond slopes after that.

By my fifth run, I opened up and started skiing again up to my normal 30-50 mph. As I was skiing that first day back, any thoughts of my knee were gone and the faster I skied, the more I felt a sense of freedom to enjoy the sunshine and blue skies. My legs were tired after that session, but I didn’t have any swelling and no achiness the next morning.

Q: What, in your opinion, is most notable about the BEAR Implant?

Dr. Strickland: The BEAR Implant allows the body to heal itself with less trauma by not harvesting a tendon graft, drilling tunnels or placing screws.

Q: How has the BEAR Implant technology impacted how you treat ACL tears?

Dr. Strickland: For the right patient, the BEAR Implant allows me to do a less invasive surgery and often return the patient to some sports more quickly. Our office is a part of the BEAR Implant registry, which is keeping close track of how patients do at some orthopedic institutions around the country. Through research like this we will learn more about who the ideal patient is for this surgery, the ideal suture back-up for the ACL repair used with the BEAR Implant, and how to avoid complications such as stiffness after BEAR Implant surgery.

Q: How has getting the BEAR Implant changed your life or impacted your daily life?

Tim: The beauty of the BEAR Implant is that I feel like I’m not just back to doing activities and skiing like I was doing pre-ACL injury, but I’m actually in an even better position from a health perspective. When you get into your 50s, you start having other aches and pain in your body and I didn’t realize there was room for improvement. After going through rehab and recovery, I have even more stability and strength and my BEAR Implant knee is performing even better than my left knee with no injury.

Learn more about the BEAR Implant and find a surgeon

The BEAR Implant is available across the U.S. Learn more about the BEAR Implant or find a surgeon in your area. If you’re a BEAR Implant patient and would like to share your story, click here.

The BEAR Implant from Miach Orthopaedics was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December 2020. It is indicated for adults, adolescents and children with a complete or partial rupture of the ACL, as confirmed by MRI. Patients must have an ACL stump attached to the tibia to construct the repair. Children with open physes must have sufficient bone in the femoral and tibial epiphyses on either side of the intended tunnel locations to avoid disruption of the growth plates.

It is important to follow the BEAR Implant physical therapy program. Your surgeon can explain the program details.

Be sure to discuss your individual symptoms, diagnosis and treatment with your surgeon. The BEAR Implant has the same potential medical/surgical complications as other orthopedic surgical procedures, including ACL reconstruction. These include the risk of re-tear, infection, knee pain, meniscus injury and limited range of motion.

Visit www.miachortho.com for complete product information, including Instructions for Use.

ML-1185 Rev A 10/2024