We humans put our bodies through a lot and most of us will suffer some sort of musculoskeletal injury at some point in our lives. Upon seeing an orthopedic doctor the options are often surgery or waiting until it gets worse… then surgery. Many people are asking if there are more options and the answer is YES. The field of regenerative medicine is booming and offers an effective way to stimulate the body’s natural ability to heal itself. Below are some of the most common musculoskeletal injuries that can be treated with regenerative medicine. 

Torn Meniscus: This is one of the most common knee injuries often caused by a twisting injury. The meniscus is a small section of C-shaped rubbery cartilage in the knee that allows the knee to move freely and acts as a shock absorber. Knee surgery required months of recovery and frequently additional months of physical therapy to regain strength and function. With regenerative medicine you can return to your daily routine within days and recover within weeks. Regenerative medicine can treat other knee injuries such as ACL, PCL, MCL, and LCL tears.

Torn Rotator Cuff: The shoulder has the widest range of motion of any joint in the human body and that comes with the price of increased risk of injury. The rotator cuffs are a series of muscles in and around the shoulder that stabilize it and provide its function. More than 400,000 rotator cuff surgical procedures are performed annually in the US. The success of these repairs ranges from 40-74 percent depending on the size of the tear and re-tear of the repair is a relatively frequent occurrence. Additionally surgical repair can take up to six months to a year for recovery.  Regenerative medicine can involves a non-invasive procedure, no extensive downtime, and greatly improved function of the shoulder joint- average of up to 87% regain of function. A full or almost full rotator cuff tear is not eligible for regenerative repair and this will be determined via ultrasound. 

Tennis and Golfers elbow: This is an overuse injury of the elbow not exclusive to just tennis players and golfers- many people can experience pain due to injury of the tendons of the elbow. This often is not a surgical intervention but more commonly steroid injections are administered which can further damage the joint. Regenerative medicine can repair the tendons around the elbow and greatly reduce pain and restore function.