Regenerative Medicine

What is regenerative medicine?

Orthopedics & Sports Medicine BayCare Clinic offers stem cell-based therapy, also known as regenerative medicine, for people seeking relief from acute and chronic orthopedic conditions.

This non-surgical treatment option taps into the body’s ability to initiate a healing response to help ease pain and improve function.

What conditions can regenerative medicine treat?

Platelet-rich plasma and stem cell-based therapies can be used to treat conditions that include but aren’t limited to:

• Joint arthritis
• Tendinitis
• Ligament injury
• Cartilage injury
• Strained muscles

What are regenerative medicine treatments?

There are two main regenerative medicine, or orthobiologic, treatment options – platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC). Each procedure is done in-office, ultrasound-guided and performed under local anesthesia.

Platelet-rich plasma:

This treatment uses a patient’s blood platelets to initiate a regenerative process. This option is best suited for treating acute and chronic tendon injuries, and arthritis in the knee. It also can be used to treat chronic Achilles tendinitis, tennis elbow, jumper’s knee, and ligament and muscle injuries. Platelets are injected into the area of concern.

Bone marrow aspirate:

This is true cell-based therapy. The procedure harvests live cells from a patient’s body. The cells are processed in a centrifuge machine which separates the bone marrow aspirate from the cell layer. This separated material is then injected into the problem area.

These options are safe, non-surgical and have been shown to help improve pain and function in patients struggling with several chronic orthopedic conditions.

No referral is required. The treatments are not covered by insurance.

Resources

Regenerative medicine educational brochure