Olympic snowboarding hopeful Josh Bowman and professional big-mountain skier Kelsey Wittels are two of the roughly 20,000 people who tear their ACLs on the slopes each year.
But thanks to the BEAR Implant, their injuries weren’t the end of their stories, just the start of their comeback.
Watch their journeys from tear to triumph.
Josh tore his ACL in the middle of training season. Now he’s back competing, chasing snow, and training for the chance to go for gold.
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Kelsey was nervous she’d never ski again. A year post-surgery, she placed 6th in her first competition back.
Watch VideoTap through these stories to see how real skiers and snowboarders got back to the slopes with the BEAR Implant. From big-mountain competitors to weekend warriors, they’re back on the trail – on their terms.
Unlike most ligaments in the body, a torn ACL usually can’t heal on its own. The most common treatment is surgery called ACL reconstruction (ACLR), where the surgeon removes your torn ligament and replaces it with a tendon graft – either from your own leg (autograft) or from a donor (allograft). While ACLR works well, it has tradeoffs. Many people struggle to return to the same level of activity or sport.
The BEAR Implant offers a different approach. Instead of replacing your ACL, it helps your body heal the torn ligament naturally, no graft needed. Over time, the implant is absorbed and replaced by your body’s own tissue, helping restore your natural ACL.
The BEAR implant is FDA-cleared for adults, teens, and kids – even those with open growth plates – as long as the tear meets the criteria:
Your surgeon can evaluate your knee and tell you if this natural repair is an option.
It is important to follow the BEAR Implant physical therapy program. Your surgeon can explain the program details.
The BEAR Implant is available across the U.S. in every state. Tap the button below to search for trained BEAR surgeons near you.
Find a SurgeonReturn-to-sport timelines are similar to ACL reconstruction, usually around 9 months. Recovery with the BEAR implant requires a unique approach. The rehabilitation protocol for the BEAR Implant has been carefully designed to help protect your ACL during the healing process while helping you meet important rehabilitation goals. Your surgeon and PT will guide your timeline so you come back strong and smart.
Read More About BEAR recoveryTraditional ACL surgery replaces your torn ligament with a graft—usually taken from your own leg or a donor. That means removing the damaged ACL entirely. The BEAR Implant helps your own ACL heal naturally by reconnecting the torn ends using a special implant and a small amount of your own blood. There's no graft, no need to borrow tissue, and your knee’s natural structure stays intact. It’s a fresh way to recover that keeps more of you in your knee.
How is the BEAR Implant Different from Reconstruction?Our PT locator map can be used to search for physical therapists in your area who’ve been trained in the BEAR Implant rehabilitation.
Find a Physical TherapistYou may be eligible for the BEAR Implant if you have a partial or complete ACL tear as confirmed by MRI.
While patients in our early clinical studies were required to have surgery within 50 days of ACL injury, real world experience has shown ACL tissue quality, not time, determines eligibility for the BEAR Implant.
Children as young as 2 years old may be candidates for the BEAR Implant.
The overall procedure is very similar regardless of patient age. If your child is skeletally immature, their surgeon will use a growth plate sparing technique to avoid disrupting the natural growth process.
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