How is a torn ACL fixed?

Most complete ACL tears in active people are treated with reconstruction: replacing the torn ligament with a graft of your own tissue. For the right tear pattern, the BEAR implant offers a newer option that helps your own ACL heal instead of replacing it. The choice depends on your tear, your sport, and your timeline — made with a surgeon, not a website.

What is the BEAR implant for ACL tears?

BEAR (Bridge-Enhanced ACL Restoration) is an implant placed between the torn ends of the ACL that supports your body's own healing response, restoring the original ligament rather than replacing it with a graft. It fits specific tear patterns and timing — candidacy is a surgical judgment call made on MRI and exam.

How long after ACL surgery can I play sports again?

Most athletes return to cutting and pivoting sports around nine months after ACL reconstruction — and rushing that timeline is the leading cause of re-tears. At Sterling Ridge, clearance comes from return-to-play testing — strength benchmarks and movement quality — not just a date on the calendar.

ACL Reconstruction & BEAR Implant in The Woodlands, TX

The pop was one second. The comeback is a plan.

Every athlete knows the sound. What happens in the nine months after it decides whether you come back — and whether you come back once. ACL care here is surgeons who are athletes, a reconstruction done right, and a return-to-play test that clears you when your body earns it.

The honest version

A torn ACL doesn't heal on its own in active people — reconstruction replaces it with a graft of your own tissue, and for the right tears, the BEAR implant helps your original ligament heal instead. The operation is the short part. The comeback is nine months of progressive rehab, and the athletes who respect that timeline are the ones who play for years after.

Your options, straight

Reconstruction (the standard): your own patellar or hamstring tendon rebuilt into a new ACL — the proven choice for cutting and pivoting sports.
The BEAR implant (the newer option): for specific tear patterns caught early, an implant bridges the torn ends and your ACL heals itself — preserving the original ligament and its nerve sense. We'll tell you honestly if your MRI fits.
Non-surgical (the real option nobody markets): lower-demand knees and partial tears can do well with structured rehab. If that's your best path, you'll hear it here first. More on the timeline question →

Why athletes pick this practice

Surgeons who are athletes — including a four-time IRONMAN finisher and a consultant to the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team. Return-to-play isn't an abstraction to them.
Return-to-play testing — strength benchmarks and movement quality, not a calendar date. The rushed comeback is the re-torn ACL.
Rehab one hallway away — your surgeon and your rehab team share one chart for all nine months, including pool-based early work nobody else in the area offers.

The surgeons who rebuild ACLs here

Board-certified, fellowship-trained, and in the office every week — read their story, then decide.

Keith Johnson, MDSports Medicine · Shoulder & Knee

Mark Eilers, MD, MS, FAAOSSports Medicine

Matthew Reid, MDSports Medicine

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Medically reviewed by Keith W.V. Johnson, MD, FAAOS · Updated September 28, 2026