Bone Marrow Aspirate
Cell-based therapy can offer a viable alternative to surgery for individuals suffering from joint pain
The Bone Marrow is Extracted From the Back of the Patient's Pelvis
ALTHOUGH REGENERATIVE CELLS ARE NATURALLY PRESENT IN ALMOST ALL TISSUES IN VARYING DEGREES, THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OCCURS IN THE BONE MARROW.
This highest concentration of regenerative cells in the human body occur in the hip bone. The Bone Marrow Aspirate (which contains these cells) is gathered by suctioning the bone marrow from the hip bone with a tiny needle. Since the patient is given a local anesthetic, there is only minimal discomfort during the procedure.
The aspirate includes platelets, regenerative cells, and other kinds of cells used in Cellular Therapy.
CONCENTRATED BONE MARROW ASPIRATE CAN BE INJECTED TO THE SITE OF TISSUE DAMAGE OR INJURY
After aspiration, the concentrated bone marrow aspirate (which contains your regenerative cells) is separated from non-useful substances and cells. The bone marrow is spun in a machine known as a centrifuge. The centrifuge spins the material at a high speed, and this process separates the platelets and cells from the remainder of the blood products. We inject the concentrated bone marrow into the site of tissue damage or injury together with the platelet rich plasma.
We use ultrasound guidance or x-ray fluoroscopy to increase the precision and accuracy of administration and decrease the likelihood of complications.
How It Works
How Painful is it?
Harnessing The Power of Cells is the Fundamental Basis of
Orthobiologic Cellular Treatments
WE UTILIZE CYTOKINES AND SUPPLEMENTS TO ENHANCE OUR PROCEDURES
The technical term for the various growth factors is cytokines. Growth factors are signaling molecules that are typically produced at the site of repair by many different cell types including platelets, stem cells and fibroblasts. These growth factors start the process of DNA synthesis, mitosis and cell repair. Some of these growth factors make the local environment much more favorable to the various stem cells.
The growth factors in PRP decrease after about one week. Now we supplement cytokine production by giving patients a regime of multiple growth factors orally on a daily basis. We encourage our patients to take certain additional oral supplements which help improve the environment for our procedures. We believe these help the cells in their regenerative healing processes. We provide you with a list of certain specific supplements that we recommend you take for a period after our procedures.
WE DO NOT HARVEST OR USE
EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS
The problem with the embryonic stem cells are the many complications associated with them. Besides the ethical considerations, from a practical point of view, we are still a long way from being able to utilize these cells in a safe and consistent manner.
When using embryonic stem cells, you are inheriting any potential diseases that the baby may have. For instance, the baby may have a gene that increases susceptibility to cancer. In fact, the embryonic cells themselves may act as a tumor since there is no natural check on these cells. Furthermore, these cells are foreign materials to the body, and the body will react and attack these cells in an immune response. This can sometimes cause a serious medical condition called graft versus host disease. In that case, the patient may have to be placed on immunosuppressant drugs—like an organ transplant patient. With our present technology, embryonic stem cells are not the answer. For those reasons, the FDA has put significant restrictions on the use of this type of cell in humans.
WE DO NOT CULTURE CELLS
There are some centers which recommend taking the stem cells from the bone marrow and growing them in a laboratory and then injecting them back into a patient. This process may not be the best way to treat your orthopedic problems.
There are studies which suggest that once the stem cells are manipulated outside the body they lose their effectiveness. Furthermore, there is a suggestion that by reproducing these cells outside the body the genetic makeup of the cells may be altered leading to any number of significant problems. Among other factors, it is believed that the telomeres, or ends of the DNA strands, may be significantly altered.
The FDA has ruled that cultured cells by and large cannot be used in the United States. We adhere to the FDA regulations, only minimally manipulating cells and we do not use any dangerous chemicals like collagenase.
ENJOY LIFE AGAIN WITHOUT JOINT PAIN OR SURGERY
Find out if you are eligible for our treatments.
Is Orthobiological Cell Treatment Right For You?
Although Orthobiologic Treatments are considered by some people to be experimental, various research studies show that cellular therapy and platelet rich plasma injections may provide excellent relief from joint and musculoskeletal pain and ongoing inflammation.