Tara’s Innovative ACL Journey

In February of 2025, Tara boarded a flight home after visiting her daughter at the University of Alabama, but the sharp pop she felt in her left knee as she exited the plane sent her on a new and unexpected journey.

The injury occurred after landing for a stopover in Atlanta. Despite the pain, Tara was determined to walk to another gate, where a second flight would bring her home to Connecticut. She pushed through the airport using her rolling suitcase as a makeshift crutch, but by the time she had reached the next gate and boarded the plane, the swelling had worsened, and she knew something was seriously wrong.

Back in Connecticut the following morning, Tara called Middlesex Orthopedic & Spine Associates (MOSA). They scheduled an appointment for her that day. After her initial evaluation, an MRI confirmed she had a complete tear of her ACL.

Tara met with David J. Hergan, MD, Sports Medicine and Joint Replacement Surgeon at MOSA. From the start, Tara felt she had come to the right place for her care.

“I was definitely very impressed,” Tara said of her first visit with Dr. Hergan. “He’s very personable and understanding. He listened to me. As you go through any type of surgery, you hope that you can have good communication.”

Based on the nature of Tara’s injury, Dr. Hergan recommended surgery with a BEAR® (Bridge-Enhanced ACL Restoration) Implant, an innovative technology using orthobiologics that helps preserve and repair ligament tissue, rather than traditional ACL reconstruction, which requires the removal of the entire ligament.

“Technologies like the BEAR® Implant that utilize orthobiologics, which take advantage of our bodies’ natural ability to heal, are revolutionizing orthopedics,” Dr. Hergan said. “It’s rewarding to have a new approach to empower patients like Tara to return to what is most important in their lives.”

With her diagnosis and treatment plan set, Tara faced another challenge: making it back to the University of Alabama by May 2nd for her daughter’s graduation. She worked with Dr. Hergan and his team to schedule her surgery as early as possible, to allow her enough time to recover in advance of her deadline. Throughout the process, Dr. Hergan’s team continued to uphold a high standard of communication. They provided extensive background information and educational materials on the BEAR® Implant, and helped make Tara’s ambitious recovery timeline a reality.

“Any time I had a question, they got back to me right away,” she explained.

Dr. Hergan performed Tara’s surgery on March 31st. The procedure was a success, and equally important to Tara, it left her just enough time for four weeks of rehabilitation before her daughter’s big weekend.

Tara approached her recovery with the same determination she showed back in the Atlanta airport with her injured knee. She attended physical therapy two to three times per week, and by May, she was walking independently with a brace. With her mobility restored, Tara was able to see not just one daughter’s graduation in Alabama, but also her other daughter’s graduation from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

She isn’t stopping there. Tara hopes to return to yoga and golf by August. And as she continues to pursue a full recovery, she’s focused on moving forward on her journey, as she has been every step of the way.

“You just have to keep going,” Tara said