2022 Specialty Day Access Pass-Session VIII: AANA Innovations Lecture

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Dr. Martha Murray, orthopedic surgeon and innovator, delivered the 2022 Anna Innovations Lecture on advancing ACL injury treatment. She discussed the limitations of traditional ACL repair and reconstruction, noting high failure rates, incomplete recovery, and long-term joint issues. Murray and her team developed a novel "bridge-enhanced ACL restoration" (BEAR) technique using a collagen scaffold combined with the patient’s blood to stimulate healing of the torn ligament, addressing the lack of natural healing in the ACL. They followed a rigorous NASA-inspired innovation process, progressing through preclinical animal models, manufacturing, FDA approval, and clinical trials. In randomized clinical studies, the BEAR procedure showed comparable safety, knee stability, and patient outcomes to traditional ACL reconstruction, with better hamstring strength recovery and potentially less post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Although re-tear rates were slightly higher, the overall results are promising. Murray emphasized the importance of multidisciplinary teams, rigorous science, and perseverance in orthopedic innovation, aiming for improved patient care and translation from lab to clinic.

Asset Caption

Moderator: Mark H. Getelman, M.D., FAANA

Keywords

ACL injury

bridge-enhanced ACL restoration

BEAR technique

collagen scaffold

orthopedic innovation

clinical trials