Structure and Function Are Not the Same: The Case for Restoring Mechanoreceptor Continuity Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, particularly in increasingly young and active adolescents, continues to pose a clinical challenge with re-injury rates reported as high as 30%. Evidence also suggests that current standard-of-care ACL reconstruction (ACLR) does not mitigate post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) risk. Bridge- enhanced ACL restoration (BEAR) is a recently developed and tested ACL surgery that promotes primary healing of the native ACL with excellent early results. BEAR has shown to reduce signs of early PTOA compared to ACLR in an animal model. Here, we describe a theoretical framework related to re-innervation that can clarify why the outcomes of ACLR and BEAR surgeries differ. We also discuss how ongoing and new challenges in determining return-to-sport readiness following the competing surgeries may differ, and how emerging imaging tools and measures of neuromuscular function may aid in clinical decision-making to decrease the likelihood of re-injury and PTOA risk.