Q: What is regenerative orthopedics?
A: Don’t operate, REGENERATE! I work with your body’s powerful healing capabilities using your own stem cells and blood platelet rich plasma (PRP) to avoid surgery. Many orthopedic issues heal with mother nature and time. However, there are certain tissues that do not like to heal because they lack good blood flow. These include cartilage, meniscus, tendon, and ligament. The goal is to generate a healing response in these tissues with poor blood flow.
Q: How do stem cells and platelet-rich-plasma therapies work?
A: These treatments aim to heal damaged tissue by growing new cartilage, tendon, ligament, or bone. Growth factors and hormones are released into the damaged areas which attract healing cells and stimulate your body’s natural healing capability.
Q: What can be treated?
A: The most common issues I treat are arthritis of the knee, shoulder, hip, ankle, and wrist/thumb; meniscus tears, rotator cuff tears, tennis elbow, etc.
Q: How do I know if I’m a candidate?
A: If you are suffering from joint pain because of arthritis, tendonitis, torn tendon, ligament injury, meniscus/labral injury, or cartilage defect, you are a candidate for stem cell therapy. There is no age limit for this procedure.
Q: How is a stem cell procedure performed?
A: Your fat tissue contains far greater concentration of stem cells than your bone marrow. The cells are harvested with a mini-liposuction in my office. You are not put to sleep. I use local anesthetics and laughing gas. After collecting the cells, they are rinsed with saline, resized and then injected precisely with ultrasound guidance. Most patients can drive home after treatment
Q: What is the success rate?
A: For arthritis, I am seeing 85% success defined as 50% improvement in pain and function or better. Seventy-five percent of arthritis patients one year out from treatment show a positive change on x-ray indicating increased cartilage. Meniscus and tendon treatment patients have even better outcomes.
Q: Are these therapies covered by insurance?
A: Regenerative treatments are considered experimental and not covered by any insurance.
Q: As regenerative orthopedics is still a new field of medicine, how much experience do you have?
A: I have been performing PRP since 2007. I added stem cell treatments in 2014 and have treated over 1500 patients. I attend annual educational conferences on regenerative orthopedics and have presented my outcomes data at a national meeting.
Steven J. Meyers, M.D.
Sports Medicine, Bone & Joint Clinic
1651 W. Rosedale, Ste 200
Fort Worth 76104
817.335.4316
thcboneandjoint.com
