Bone Marrow Concentrate (BMC) Stem Cell Therapy
Skip the surgery and get back in the game naturally!
What are Bone Marrow Stem Cells?
Stem cells are cells that can replicate exponentially and can differentiate into many different types of cells, including muscle, bone, and cartilage cells. They can come from different areas of the body, but the two most common are bone marrow, the spongy tissue in the center of your bones, and adipose tissue, or fat.
In our therapy, we use mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from bone marrow in the iliac crest of the hip bone. These cells are adult stem cells* (not embryonic), and autologous, which means they are used by the same person they are extracted from so there is no risk of the body rejecting them.
*They are the only source of stem cells allowed by the FDA at this time. They are also the most extensively studied stem cells in orthopedics, with tens of thousands of published patient cases over the last 30 years.
In a simple outpatient procedure, we utilize your body’s own healing elements found in your bone marrow to glean bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC – also known as simply bone marrow concentrate or BMC) that can then be applied like medicine to a damaged area. These elements–known as stem cells–immediately go to work reducing swelling, relieving pain and promoting repair & restoration.
Benefits Include:
- Quick, minimally invasive procedure
- Little to no recovery time with real results possible in weeks, not months
- Promotes natural healing
- Low-cost alternative to surgery
- Most comprehensive stem cell treatment available
How (BMC) Stem Cell Therapy Works
Bone marrow concentrate stem cell therapy is the process of taking cells from one area of your body and moving them to another. This happens in three steps:
Stem Cell Therapy Process
As you lie facedown on a table, the doctor extracts bone marrow aspirate from your hip with a special needle. You may experience mild discomfort but the majority of patients tolerate this easily.
To concentrate the adult stem cells and platelets in the marrow fluid, the aspirate is spun in a centrifuge for up to 15 minutes.
The doctor re-injects the now-concentrated BMC into the area of pain.
In all, the process takes less than an hour and you may resume your normal activities as tolerated the next day.
Conditions Stem Cell Therapy Is Used to Improve
Though the potential uses for stem cells are vast, therapy is currently used mainly for orthopedics. Within this field, however, there are many conditions that BMC stem cell therapy can address by reducing inflammation and improving the body’s ability to heal:
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Knee pain – osteoarthritis, medial/lateral meniscus tears, chondromalacia patellae
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Tendon and ligament injuries – patellar tendonitis, quadriceps tendon tears, MCL/LCL/ACL tears
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Hip pain – osteoarthritis, hip labrum tears, SI joint dysfunction, piriformis syndrome, greater trochanteric bursitis, iliotibial band (ITB) syndrome
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Shoulder pain– osteoarthritis, rotator cuff tendinitis, tendinopathy, partial tears, labrum tears, bicipital tendinitis
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Elbow pain – lateral epicondylitis (“tennis elbow”), medial epicondylitis (“golfer’s elbow”)
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Hand and wrist pain – osteoarthritis, De Quervain’s tenosynovitis
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Ankle and foot pain – Achilles tendinitis or partial tears, plantar fasciitis, ankle sprains/ligament injuries
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Spine – facet joint arthropathy, SI joint dysfunction
Conditions We Treat
Knee
Hip
Foot & Ankle
Back & Spine
Shoulder
Elbow
Hand & Wrist
Is Bone Marrow Stem Cell Therapy Safe?
Yes, BMC treatment is safe and raises no ethical questions. According to the FDA, because the harvesting of stem cells from bone marrow is minimally manipulative and because BMC therapies “[do] not raise new clinical safety concerns,” the agency does not require them to undergo premarket review or approval.
However, bone marrow stem cell therapy has been thoroughly and clinically tested for more than three decades and found to be overwhelmingly safe. As one example, a study conducted between 2006 and 2010 found zero neoplastic (abnormal tissue) complications at the re-injection site of 339 patients treated with MSCs for various orthopedic conditions.
For more information regarding the safety of bone marrow stem cell therapy, view a list of case studies here.
Are You a Candidate for Bone Marrow Therapy?
Certain factors concerning your condition can affect whether bone marrow therapy is a good option for you. These can include:
- How far advanced your condition or pain is
- Whether you have been diagnosed with arthritis
- Whether you have frequent severe joint swelling
- Whether you have severe bowing of the joint (fewer than 10 degrees)
- Whether you have severe stiffness of the joint with range of motion within 20 degrees of normal.
The best way to determine if you could be a candidate for stem cell therapy is to get in touch with us and schedule a consultation.