Sports injuries and orthopedic injuries affect millions of active individuals each year, including athletes living in the Van Nuys, Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks, and Los Angeles, California communities. Orthopedic injuries associated with the shoulder and knee joints can range from a mild sprain to an acute tear or chronic tendon injury. Orthopedic regenerative cell therapy appears to be beneficial for some conditions and continues to gain popularity as a safe treatment method when traditional measures have failed to heal the injury. Dr. Mark Getelman is available to discuss the many uses of regenerative cells in a medical setting at his office locations.
An Overview on Orthopedic Regenerative Cell Therapy
Adult medicinal signaling cells, also known as autologous cells, are readily available and can potentially accelerate healing of certain orthopedic injuries. Unlike the controversial and ethical concerns associated with embryonic and fetal stem cells, orthopedic medicinal signaling cell (MSC) therapy utilizing adult regenerative cells is safe since the cells are extracted from the patient’s own body. This form of biologic treatment helps reduce the risks of immune rejection, disease transmission and infection.
In order to perform orthopedic MSC therapy, a physician must extract a sample of bone marrow from the patient, most commonly from the hip region. The sample of bone marrow is then spun in a centrifuge machine to separate the adult regenerative cells, platelets and white blood cells from the red blood cells. Once the three healing agents are separated, they are injected directly into the injured tissue to accelerate healing and promote regeneration.
Patients up to 60 years of age can usually achieve tissue regeneration using their own “pluripotent” cells. Patients over the age of 60 years typically do not achieve the same healing benefits utilizing their own autologous cells. This is because the body loses its ability to regenerate these specialized cells as it naturally ages. Patients over the age of 60 years wishing to undergo orthopedic MSC therapy may be better managed using a combination of platelet rich plasma (PRP) for accelerated healing and donor (allograft) tissue for regeneration.
Common Uses of Regenerative Cells in Orthopedic Medicine
Adult medicinal signaling cells can be used to treat a wide number of sports injuries and orthopedic injuries. Common uses of MSCs include:
- Aiding in healing injured ligaments and tendons
- Addressing cartilage injury in damaged and arthritic joints
- Treating fractures
The uses of regenerative cell therapy continue to evolve and grow in orthopedic medicine. Many physicians do acknowledge and understand the healing benefits of medicinal signaling cells, which is why orthopedic regenerative therapy continues to become more popular in treating injuries involving the knee and shoulder joints.
If you would like to learn more about the uses of MSCs in orthopedic regenerative cell therapy, please contact the Van Nuys, Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks, and Los Angeles, California area office of Dr. Mark Getelman.