SPORTS AND OSTEOARTHRITIS REGENERATIVE MEDICINE
Regenerative medicine specializes in replacing and renewing tissue and organs of the human body. The goal is to stimulate the body’s healing process and to restore proper function to the damaged area. Regenerative medicine promotes the renewal of damaged tissues through various types of fast, safe, and long-lasting treatments by enhancing the healing process and by activating the body’s natural mechanism and accelerating the healing process.
Acute and chronic joint problems affect primarily bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Such lesions often result from overusing the same joint through repetitive use or excessive force. The joints most affected by this type of injury are mobile joints such as ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, elbows, and wrists. We also treat any peripheral joints. Of note, we do not treat the spine, nor Sacro-iliac joints.
Ultrasound Guided Joint Injections: A Technique at the Cutting Edge of Technology
Ultrasound-guided joint injections are a safe and non-invasive method of treating pain, inflammation and impaired mobility. It is much more accurate compared to a blind injection where the physician does not see where the tip of his needle is and where he is injecting.
Ultrasound Diagnostic Injections
We use ultrasound diagnostic injections in case of any doubt about the origin of your pain. This means that if we are uncertain about the origin of your pain, we look into the joint with our ultrasound and we will inject a dose of lidocaine (numbing agent). If the pain is relieved for about 2 hours, we can confirm the origin of your pain. Then, we use ultrasound guidance once more for the injection of PRP, viscosupplementation (Synvisc and Durolane) into your joint in order to provide long term relief.
What are the options ?
-PRP
-viscosupplementation (Synvisc and Durolane), sometimes with corticosteroids.
-Dextrose (prolotherapy)
What is PRP?
PRP is blood plasma with a high platelet concentration. The platelets are enriched with essential bioactive proteins that act as growth factors that accelerate the repair and regeneration of joint tissues. Also, PRP promotes the growth of new blood vessels and new collagen, which is required for healing.
This treatment serves to accelerate the healing of acute and chronic joint injuries, chronic wounds, skin, and much more. A small amount of blood is drawn from the patient so that the PRP can be extracted. The PRP is then centrifuged to bring the platelet concentration up by nearly 500% before the PRP is injected into the centre of the targeted structure. The injections are guided by ultrasound or fluoroscopy.
While everyone reacts at a different pace, most can expect between 1 to 3 injections to obtain optimal results.
Prolotherapy is a dextrose-based (sugar) injection that promotes the healing of weakened ligaments.
Inflammation is necessary for healing because it stimulates collagen production, which makes ligaments stronger and sounder.
While rarely used at Inovo Medical, this treatment can be particularly effective for treating osteoarthritis and weak ligaments as a result of trauma (e.g., sprain).
What is Durolane (Hyaluronic Acid)
DUROLANE is a unique, single-injection hyaluronic acid therapy that provides long-lasting pain relief from knee osteoarthritis. Hyaluronic acid (HA) in the knee acts as a lubricant and shock-absorber.
Who has trusted Regenerative Medicine?
- Peyton Manning, NFL star quarterback
- Bartolo Colon, Pitcher for the New York Mets
- Rafael Nadal, Professional Tennis Player
- Pau Gasol Sáez, Basketball Player for the San Antonio Spurs
- Chris Johnson, Running Back for the Arizona Cardinals
Professional athletes worldwide are turning to sports regenerative medicine to get back in the game sooner than ever. From golf players to soccer players to tennis players from NHL to NFL to MLB to NBA, sports regenerative medicine has been used to treat athletes suffering from a number of injuries such as:
- torn meniscus
- herniated discs
- worn cartilage
- ruptured Achilles tendons
- tennis elbow
- and more
