Regenerative Orthopaedics is a relatively new treatment option offered by Santa Rosa Orthopaedics designed to assist the body’s natural healing process by stimulating the regeneration of cells in the musculoskeletal system.
Stem cell injection therapy utilizes something called mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). These stem cells have the ability to become specialized types of cells, such as osteoblasts (bone cells), chondrocytes (cartilage cells), myocytes (muscle cells), and fibroblasts (ligament and tendon cells). MSCs can come from the umbilical cord blood of healthy donors under highly regulated circumstances and they can be obtained from the patient’s bone mar-row and/or adipose (fat) cells.
MSC treatment is considered a good option for treating musculoskeletal conditions involving lost or injured tissue, such as bone-on-bone arthritis; injury and tears to tendons, ligaments, and cartilage and degenerative disc disease. MSCs not only facilitate regeneration in various cell types within a joint, they also control the local inflammatory response.
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections is a procedure that utilizes the patient’s own blood to form a concentration of blood cells called platelets. Platelets are among the many blood cells in plasma that not only play an important role in forming blood clots, but also contain growth factors that are central to the body’s healing process. When injected into damaged tissue, the body’s existing stem cells are stimulated and released to accelerate healing.
In PRP, the patient’s own blood is drawn and spun in a centrifuge to isolate the platelets and their associated growth factors. This concentration of cells is then added to the patient’s plasma which contains a variety of proteins that are essential to connective tissue healing.
Conditions responding well to this type of therapy include:
- Osteoarthritis of the joints
- Chondromalacia patella (patellofemoral syndrome/runner’s knee)
- Partial muscle tears, (hamstring strain)
- Meniscal (cartilage) tears in the knee
- Partial rotator cuff tears
- Persistent partial tendon tears and injuries, such as tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, quadriceps and patellar tendon tears.
Clinical use of cellular regeneration now exceeds research. Studies have been highly positive and indicate continued advancements of regeneration of tissues as an alternative to medication and/or surgery.
To make an appointment call 707-546-1922.
