Regenerative medicine can complement orthopedic surgery

Editor's Note

Regenerative medicine practices that incorporate biological materials such as platelets, stem cells, and exosomes to stimulate natural healing can be a “powerful addition to the orthopedic toolkit,” according to an orthopedic and spine surgeon based in New York and quoted in a December 10 article in The Financial.

One benefit of regenerative medicine is that it offers a way to restore mobility and reduce pain without the risks and downtime of invasive procedures, per the news story. However, the surgeon was careful to emphasize that regenerative medicine is not a miracle cure, but rather a part of a larger continuum of care that can also include surgery when patients require it.

He described orthopedic care within his multidisciplinary center for spine and musculoskeletal health that uses the patient’s own cells to promote regeneration in tissues that were once thought to be permanently damaged. One example is platelet-rich plasma, drawn from a patient’s blood and concentrated to deliver growth factors directly to injured tissue. Another example of regenerative medicine is using stem cell injections to stimulate cartilage and disc repair, which can sometimes avoid the need for surgery.

In the article the surgeon discussed his vision combining surgical experience with the belief that nature can provide the best blueprint for recovery. He described regenerative medicine as a way to remind the body “how to do what it was designed to do.”