Have you heard about the trial out of Boston Children’s Hospital for a new ACL repair procedure? Dr. Martha Murray and colleagues are pioneering this new technique called BEAR (bridge-enhanced ACL repair). It is based on the the idea that ligaments can heal themselves given the right conditions. For example, the MCL can heal itself in a few weeks depending on the severity of the tear. Up until now, the ACL has always had to be surgically reconstructed because of too much fluid in the vicinity. Identifying this problem and coming up with a way to address it lead Dr. Murray et. al. to pioneer a procedure whereby they place a sponge in the ACL “cavity,” stitch the ACL a bit, and wait for scar tissue to form and create the new ligament, just like the MCL does on its own. 

I first found out about this idea the day after my accident while researching ACL surgeries (waiting in the car while D returned our skis). Fast forward to this week when the team announced their first human trial successes and the start of a second trial. I couldn’t sign up fast enough! And then… I was told that because of my MCL injury, I am not eligible to participate in the trial. 

So. Sad. 

I’m much more bummed about not being able to do it than I imagined I would be! So, back to the plan of giving my MCL time to heal and then surgery to reconstruct my ACL. Sigh. On a happier note, I can’t wait to see what comes of this second phase of their trial. Good luck to Dr. Murray and her team!