Growth Factors Help Heal Tissue
Stem Cell-Rich Bone Marrow
How Does It Work?
Since stem cells multiply and are signaled to form tissue such as cartilage, tendon and bone when necessary, they allow your body to create the tissue it needs to heal itself. For over 30 years, bone marrow derived stem cells have been used to treat a variety of conditions because they have remarkable healing and regenerative properties.
What is the Procedure?
Bone marrow is harvested from your pelvis during a simple office procedure performed under local anesthetic. Ultrasound or Fluoroscopic guidance is sometimes used to assist in visualizing the pelvic bones.
A needle is placed into the iliac crest and approximately 30-60ccs of bone marrow is extracted. The marrow is then placed into a centrifuge to extract the stem cells and growth factors that are then used for treatment. These cells can differentiate into many types of tissue in your body and naturally stimulate a healing response.
The Result
Stem cells take several weeks to months to differentiate. Fortunately there seems to be a more immediate anti-inflammatory effect from this injection that occurs a few days after the procedure. About 10-15% of patients will feel better within a couple weeks, but most patients will experience some improvement of pain, swelling and inflammation within 6 weeks. The more profound effect with reparative tissue formation could take 4-6 months. Notable to this procedure is the ability to continue activity afterwards with significantly less downtime than would be expected from typical cartilage, joint, or spinal surgeries.
If you are interested in discussing if a Bone Marrow Harvested Stem Cell treatment may be right for you, please contact us for additional information.
References:
Nejadnik H, Hui JH, Feng Choong EP, et al. Autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells versus autologous chondrocyte implantation: an observational cohort study. Am J Sports Med. Jun 2010;38(6):1110-1116. PMID 20392971
Vega A, Martin-Ferrero MA, Del Canto F, et al. Treatment of knee osteoarthritis with allogeneic bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells: a randomized controlled trial. Transplantation. Aug 2015;99(8):1681-1690. PMID 25822648
Centeno CJ, Al-Sayegh H, Bashir J, et al. A prospective multi-site registry study of a specific protocol of autologous bone marrow concentrate for the treatment of shoulder rotator cuff tears and osteoarthritis. J Pain Res. 2015;8:269-276. PMID 26089699