At OrthoRegen®, the Stem Cell Therapy we use for injuries to the joints and spine is The Gold Standard for stem cell regeneration. What makes it the Gold Standard? We don’t use just one type of regenerative therapy but use four different kinds of Regenerative Orthopedics. And that helps you to avoid invasive surgery.
Many other clinics only use one or two of these procedures. But, not all four. We use bone marrow stem cells as well as adipose (fat) stem cells. We also use PRP Prolotherapy to accelerate healing. In addition, we use Dextrose Prolotherapy on the outside of the joint to help stabilize the ligaments and tendons that hold the joint in place. This last step is critical for the success of the procedure. And without it, failure rates are high.
Using two sources of stem cells (bone and fat) as well as PRP Prolotherapy and Dextrose Prolotherapy is what is referred to as The Gold Standard for stem cell regeneration. And when is the Gold Standard recommended? We choose to use this procedure in various different circumstances. Examples include cases where people have been told they either need their joint replaced, have bone-on-bone, advanced arthritis, cartilage loss, or a combination of these.
In this article, we would like to discuss Stem Cell Therapy for the regeneration of a degenerated joint. The goal of this treatment, as with all forms of Regenerative Orthopedics, is to stimulate injured tissues to repair.
In conditions such as arthritis, the problem is typically progressive and degenerative, with a limited ability of the joint to heal itself. And with arthritis, the joint is in a state where it is breaking down. What we want to do with Stem Cell Therapy is to get the joint in a state of building up. When we use this treatment, we stimulate the body to repair the area to get it stronger. Stem Cell Therapy probably works by a lot of different mechanisms but here are some proposed mechanisms:
While the exact mechanisms by which Stem Cell Therapy works can be debated, the bottom line for the patient is, “Do I get rid of my pain and get back to the activities I desire?” In the majority of cases, the answer is, “Yes!”
Any condition helped by one type of Regenerative Orthopedics (Stem Cell Therapy, PRP, Prolotherapy) can, at least theoretically, be helped by another type of Regenerative Orthopedics. While Stem Cell Therapy is typically not used for ligament and tendon injuries, it surely can be used for those conditions.
Most clinics, including OrthoRegen®, use Stem Cell Therapy for cases of significant joint injury or severe degenerative arthritis in joints or even the spine. Those who are involved in treating people with articular cartilage degeneration or joint injury know that the vast majority of them improve when these patients are treated with Stem Cell Therapy.
The Stem Cell Therapy done at OrthoRegen® has nothing to do with embryonic stem cell therapy. Most research and studies have shown that cord blood does NOT have many if any, stem cells.
We only use the patient’s own adult stem cells. We take the bone marrow from the patient’s own tibia or iliac crest bones. And then use fat from the abdominal or buttock areas so that the stem cells are the freshest. Additionally, there is no cross-contamination this way! We then inject these cells into the defective joint.
At OrthoRegen®, we only use the Gold Standard in Stem Cell Therapy. The Gold Standard includes bone marrow stem cells, fat stem cells, PRP, and Dextrose Prolotherapy. Stem cells are great, but they need to be directed as to what to do. Some of the directors are the growth factors that are in the platelets.
Platelets aid the stem cells in their various jobs including differentiation and then aid in the differentiated cells making the extracellular matrix to repair the injured tissue. One could think of the stem cells as construction workers and the platelets (and their growth factors) as their supervisors, telling them what to do. Platelet Rich Plasma contains a myriad of substances that stimulate healing, like platelet-derived growth factor, which attracts immune system cells to the injured area to enhance ligament and tendon healing. And fibroblast growth factor which promotes the growth of the cells involved in collagen and cartilage formation.
We have found that Comprehensive Regenerative Orthopedics using the combination of all of these regenerative treatments works amazingly at accomplishing the results of repair and return to function in the patients we have treated, allowing them to return to the activities they enjoy in life.
