At Regenesis, our clients often ask how Regenerative and Orthopedic Medicine compare in addressing joint pain and loss of joint function.
Orthopedic treatments include surgery, medications, and physical therapy. Surgery seeks to repair or replace damaged joints, bones, ligaments, and other tissues. Surgery can range from arthroscopic procedures under regional anesthesia to total joint replacement under general anesthesia.
Orthopedic medications include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, pain relievers, corticosteroids, and other medications. Though steroids are widely used to reduce joint inflammation and pain, they have a catabolic effect on tissue. This means they can break down tissue. Too often we see the ill effects of repeated or prolonged use of steroids including collagen degradation leading to the breakdown of tendons, ligaments, and other tissues. We have seen steroid damage so extensive as to preclude the use of Regenerative Medicine to restore joint health.
Finally, physical therapy plays a significant role in traditional orthopedic treatments. It involves exercises, stretches, and other techniques to rehabilitate injured or surgically treated joints.
In contrast with traditional Orthopedic Medicine, Regenerative Medicine harness Orthobiologics and other therapies to restore joint function and reduce joint pain without the downtime, risks, and loss of joint function associated with surgery and steroids.
Regenerative therapies use Orthobiologics derived from the patient’s own body to stimulate natural healing and tissue regeneration. Examples include harvesting, processing, and reinjecting platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and/or bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMSC) from a patient (autologous tissues) to deliver stem cells and key healing agents to their diseased or injured joint. Because harvesting and reinjection of Orthobiologics employ needles rather than surgery and in the case of severe disease, joint amputation, Regenerative therapies are minimally invasive.
Since Regenerative Medicine options involve autologous tissue injections rather than surgery they can be performed without anesthesia or with only oral or light IV sedation. Also, downtime and recovery are measured in a few days rather than weeks and months of recovery and physical therapy typical after surgery. Rather than removing tissue and joints, Regenerative Medicine amplifies a patient’s own healing processes to promote tissue regeneration and healing.
Orthobiologics includes BMSC and PRP used individually or in combination to regenerate joint tissue. BMSC contains many types of stem cells that play a crucial role in healing and tissue regeneration. Among this variety of stem cells are mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). These multipotent cells can differentiate into various cell types, including bone and cartilage cells. They can also suppress immune responses that would otherwise impair joint healing. While MSCs are particularly potent healing agents they comprise a small share of nucleated cells in bone marrow. Given their relative rarity, the processing and precise reinjection of BMSC is key to successful joint healing.
PRP is processed from a patient's own blood to contain very high concentrations of platelets. Platelets are rich in growth factors and other bioactive molecules that can stimulate tissue repair and regeneration. When PRP is used in conjunction with BMSC, it can enhance therapeutic effects in several ways. PRP provides growth factors and cytokines that stimulate cell proliferation, moderate inflammation, and promote tissue healing. Stem cells in BMSC differentiate into chondrocytes and contribute to cartilage repair. When used together, PRP and BMSC work synergistically to foster joint regeneration.
Because of our success in using Orthobiologics to address patients’ joint pain and improve their joint function, at Regenesis, we say that “We help you heal you.”
