If you suffer from arthritis, ligament or cartilage injuries, tendonitis, inflammation, muscle tears, or any other orthopaedic ailment for which surgery is either premature or not possible, then one of the following procedures may be a great option.
Platelet Rich Plasma
Platelet Rich Plasma, also referred to as PRP, is a regenerative therapy that has become very popular over the past 10 years. This therapy takes advantage of the growth factors found in the patient’s own platelets. While platelets are found in the general blood, they are highly concentrated specifically in the patient’s plasma, thus making a patient’s plasma full of the desired growth factors. By harvesting the patient’s plasma, we are able to inject affected joints with the growth factors and trigger regenerative effects. It can be injected in a clinic setting. PRP therapy is designed to reduce inflammatory symptoms using natural healing mechanisms rather than drugs with side effects that cover symptoms.
The Process
- Blood is drawn from the patient’s arm.
- The blood is placed into a special centrifuge where it is separated into different parts: red blood cells and plasma.
- The red blood cells are discarded, leaving the high platelet concentrated plasma ready for injection.
- The plasma is then injected into the affected joint using Ultrasound guidance.
Bone Marrow
Bone marrow is the soft spongy tissue found in the center of our large bones. In adults, marrow produces red and white blood cells, as well as other plasma components. Bone marrow harnesses the body’s natural healing process through the aid of growth factors within the marrow, as well as regenerative cells. These cells can replicate themselves into various tissue and cell types. By introducing these cells into the injured area, marrow is able to initiate a healing response by the body. In some cases, there is evidence that cells may improve structural healing rates of tendons.
The Process
- The Bone marrow is harvested from the pelvis.
- A centrifuge is utilized to prepare the bone marrow.
- The prepared bone marrow is injected into the affected site.
LipoGemsTM
LipoGems is an innovative process where a patient’s own powerful fat is used to produce viable and injectable stem cells with regenerative properties. Fat has a high concentration of stem cells and multiple sites can be injected. This type of procedure has a number of benefits and is performed in our office without the need of general anesthesia.
The Process
- Skin is prepped and the designated area (usually the abdomen or thigh area) is injected with a local anesthetic and sterile saline.
- Using a harvesting cannula, fat cells are aspirated.
- LipoGems uses an FDA approved device that rinses and cleans the inflammatory oils and blood from the patient’s harvested fat and keeps the natural and beneficial properties of the fat tissue.
- The harvested fat is then precisely injected into the patients injured areas with the use of ultrasound guidance.
These procedures are some of the newest treatments available today. They offer patients with a minimally invasive option to help relieve the pain of arthritis or injury and improve function. Our physicians use state-of-the-art diagnostic tools, including musculoskeletal untrasound, high-definition on-site MRI, and X-ray, to obtain pinpoint accuracy during the procedures.
The physicians at Center for Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics are highly regarded as leaders in their profession, not only in Chattanooga, but in the Southeast region. They continue to be at the forefront of offering patients the latest medical procedures and treatments toward ensuring the best possible outcomes. We are excited to offer our patients an innovative approach to treating pain and healing. The Regenerative Medicine program at Center for Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics, is composed of medical procedures utilizing the body’s own cells to preserve your natural joint as long as possible to prevent joint replacement and to stimulate healing of an injured or arthritic area, ultimately facilitating recovery.
At Center for Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics, our highly trained and compassionate staff takes pride in providing personalized care to all of our patients. That starts with a full orthopaedic evaluation with one of our doctors to assess your needs and evaluate your treatment options. We have specialists who focus on specific areas of the body including the spine, shoulder, hand, elbow, hip, knee, foot and ankle.
Make an appointment with one of our industry-leading physicians today to see if Regenerative Medicine is an option for you by calling (423) 697-8780.
regenerativemed@sportmed.com
2415 McCallie Avenue
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37404
