Shriners Children's Hawaii in Honolulu is the first hospital in the state to use the Bridge-Enhanced ACL Restoration, or BEAR, implant, ABC affiliate KITV reported Nov. 23.
The implant is used to help repair torn anterior cruciate ligaments. Rather than using the ligament from the injured knee to reconstruct, this method uses an implant injected with the patient's blood, KITV reported. The implant is absorbed by the body within about eight weeks.
Orthopedic surgeon Martha Murray, MD, pioneered the BEAR implant at the Boston Children's Hospital Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.