We are pleased to provide stem cell therapy to those patients who want an innovative approach to treating pain and boost healing.
Regenerative medicine is the use of “stem cells” to help modify a disease process by using the body’s cells to repair, heal, and possibly reverse the aging process. Stem cells occur naturally in the blood, bone marrow, and fat tissue. These stem cells are the human body “construction workers” that many times can replicate and initiate the healing of damaged tissues and replenish dying or dead tissue.
Stem Cells can be harvested from:
A – Autogenous Sources (your own living cells)
1 – Blood
2 – Bone Marrow
3 – Adipose (fat)
B – Allogenic (someone else’s cells)
1 – placental embryonic cells
Stem Cell Types
Blood – “PRP”
- Also known as platelet-rich plasma
- Most common (around since the mid-90s)
- Most studied (best-published literature)
- Safe
- In-office procedure, around 30 minutes.
- Peripheral blood draw – NO anesthesia required!
- Autogenous – your own cells
- May augment healing after orthopedic procedures and modify disease processes.
Bone Marrow
- Common – long history of use
- Safe
- Autogenous – your own cells
- Requires a surgery center
- Requires anesthesia
- Especially attractive for bone pathology – nonunions, avascular necrosis, etc.
Adipose Tissue – Fat cells
- Autogenous source – your own cells
- Harvest from abdomen
- Requires surgery center
- Requires anesthesia
- Increased concentration of stem cells compared to bone marrow
- Safe
- May augment other treatments
Placental Tissue
- Allogenic – donor tissue
- Safe
- No morbidity
- Lower price point
- Office procedure
- Growth factors – bioactivity preserved
- Research studies ongoing and positive
The use of stem cells has exploded in the past ten years, and the understanding of which type, dose, and studies of efficacy have continued to improve. The effectiveness of stem cell therapy also depends on the disease and the expectations of the patient. Western Orthopaedics is proud to add this new field to our armory in the care of musculoskeletal disease.
Orthopedic Conditions Treated
- Knee Arthritis
- Meniscus Tears
- Shoulder Arthritis
- Rotator Cuff Injuries
- Tennis and Golfer’s Elbows
- Achilles Tendonitis
- Plantar Fasciitis
Physicians who offer Stem Cell Therapy:
- Steve M. Traina, MD
- Keven K. Nagamani, MD
- Sean Baran, MD