Miach Orthopaedics, Inc., a company transforming the treatment of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears from reconstruction to restoration with the Bridge-Enhanced ACL Restoration (BEAR®) Implant, today announced it has entered into a distribution agreement with Veteran’s Health Medical Supply (VHMS). The agreement provides customers in 236 Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare facilities access to the BEAR Implant via the ECAT federal contract.

The BEAR Implant serves as a bridge to restore the patient’s own ACL and is the first medical technology that has been clinically proven to enable healing of a torn ACL. It is a paradigm shift from the current standard of care – reconstruction that replaces the ACL with a graft. Since commercial launch in fall 2021, more than 700 patients have been treated with the BEAR Implant at over 150 healthcare facilities across the U.S.

“Over the last year, we have made significant progress in making the BEAR Implant available to patients across the U.S.,” said Patrick McBrayer, president and CEO, Miach Orthopaedics. “We are excited to partner with VHMS to facilitate access to the BEAR Implant for active and retired military personnel served by Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs facilities.”

This distribution agreement offers orthopaedic surgeons working in VA and DOD healthcare facilities easier access to the BEAR Implant, as well as incorporates the support of VHMS staff and their longstanding relationships with purchasing departments at these facilities.

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. The BEAR Implant is the first medical technology to demonstrate, with Level 1 clinical evidence, that it enables the body to heal its own 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, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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