There are over 400,000 ACL injuries that occur each year in the United States, and more times than not, the injuries happen when someone is playing sports.

The ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament runs diagonally in the middle of the knee, and keeps the tibia and fibula in their correct places in your leg. When you move or pivot suddenly, it puts strain on the ACL, and when your leg experiences more strain than it can handle...pop.

Doctors have long been able to repair ACLs when they tear, but the current methodology can leave people with long-term knee issues later in life. A doctor in New York, however, may have solved this problem for good.

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New York-Based Doctor Successfully Implements New ACL Treatment

According to a report written on Staten Island-based SILive.com, Dr. Gregory Montalbano recently performed a new type of procedure on a patient dealing with a torn ACL, one that could revolutionize how athletes recover from this painful injury.

Admittedly, I don't understand some of the terminology used by these doctors, so I'll break this down as easily as possible. The current procedure for ACL injuries involves removing it and replacing it with a graft, according to Dr. Montalbano, something that can lead to what he called graft site morbidity. While this allows you to use your knee again, it doesn't restore the knee to its normal function, and can lead to knee and joint pain in the years to come.

This procedure hasn't seen a meaningful innovation in 30 years, until now.

The new procedure for a torn ACL, according to Dr. Montalbano, focuses on restoring the original ACL, and allowing the body to heal itself. The BEAR Implant, which is an acronym for Bridge-Enchanced ACL Reconstructive surgery, takes a small bit of blood from the patient, and uses it to re-attach the ACL to where it's supposed to sit. The procedure is said to be minimally-invasive, and allow for a more comfortable recovery and a better long-term prognosis.

This is a huge innovation in the world of sports medicine, and if it proves to be effective for more patience, could indeed revolutionize the recovery process for athletes who deal with these injuries. Instead of your favorite player going down with a season-ending, career-threatening ACL tear, they may be back on the field in shorter order.

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