Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) Clinical Research Award Presented to Miach Founder Dr. Martha Murray and Colleagues

Miach Orthopaedics, Inc., a privately held company dedicated to developing bio-engineered surgical implants for connective tissue restoration, today announced Miach founder Dr. Martha Murray’s research on the development of the company’s BEAR® Implant was selected for the 2022 Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) Clinical Research Award. The award for “Bridge-Enhanced ACL Restoration: Translation from Academic Lab to FDA Approval” was presented at the Orthopaedic Research Society Annual Meeting Feb. 6 in Tampa Bay, Florida.

“Research and development of the BEAR Implant has been Dr. Murray’s life’s work, and it is exciting to see it recognized by OREF,” said Martha Shadan, president and CEO, Miach Orthopaedics. “The research by Dr. Murray and her colleagues demonstrated the benefits of healing a torn ACL rather than replacing it and led to FDA approval of the BEAR Implant – a major innovation in the treatment of ACL tears that has the potential to become the standard of care.”

The BEAR Implant is the first medical technology to clinically demonstrate that it enables healing of a patient's torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). It is a paradigm shift from the current standard of care – reconstruction that replaces the ACL with a graft. The BEAR Implant acts as a bridge to help the torn ends of the ACL heal together. It is designed to hold and protect the patient’s own blood in the gap between the ACL ends to allow the formation of clot, which is necessary for healing.

“It’s an honor to have this work by our team recognized by the award,” said Dr. Murray, orthopedic surgeon-in-chief, Orthopedic Center, Boston Children's Hospital and professor of orthopedic surgery, Harvard Medical School.

The OREF award is given to outstanding clinical research related directly to musculoskeletal disease or injury. Dr. Murray’s preclinical work leading to the proof of concept of the BEAR Implant was previously recognized by OREF in 2013 with the Kappa Delta Ann Doner Vaughn Award. More information about the award is available in the press release announcement.

For more information about the BEAR Implant, visit miachortho.com.

About The BEAR® Implant

The Bridge-Enhanced® ACL Restoration (BEAR®) Implant is a proprietary bio-engineered implant used to facilitate healing of the torn ACL. Unlike reconstruction, which is the current standard of care, the BEAR Implant does not require a second surgical wound site to remove a healthy tendon from another part of the leg or the use of a donor tendon. The BEAR Implant acts as a bridge between the two ends of the torn ACL. The surgeon injects a small amount of the patient’s own blood into the implant and inserts it between the torn ends of the ACL in a minimally invasive procedure. The combination of the BEAR Implant and the patient’s blood enables the body to heal the torn ends of the ACL back together while maintaining the ACL’s original attachments to the femur and tibia. The BEAR Implant is resorbed by the body as the ACL heals.

The BEAR Implant was granted De Novo Approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December 2020. It is indicated for skeletally mature patients at least 14 years of age with a complete rupture of the ACL, as confirmed by MRI. Patients must have an ACL stump attached to the tibia to facilitate the restoration. The BEAR device must be implanted within 50 days of injury. Visit miachortho.com for complete product information, including Instructions for Use.

About Miach Orthopaedics, Inc.

Miach Orthopaedics, Inc. is a privately held company located in Westborough, Massachusetts, dedicated to developing bio-engineered surgical implants for connective tissue restoration. The company’s initial focus is the Bridge-Enhanced® ACL Restoration (BEAR®) Implant, which represents a paradigm shift in the treatment of ACL tears from reconstruction to restoration. The BEAR technology was pioneered by Martha Murray, M.D., founder of Miach Orthopaedics, at the Boston Children’s Hospital Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, with initial research funding provided by the NFL Players Association, Boston Children’s Hospital and the National Institutes of Health. For more information on Miach Orthopaedics and its products, visit www.miachortho.com and follow the company on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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