Orthobiologics

What are Orthobiologics?

You’ve probably seen me use the term “orthobiologics” quite a bit. So what are orthobiologics? Let’s dig in. Let’s Break Down the Word “Orthobiologics” To understand orthobiologics, let’s break down the word. The term, “orthobiologics” is a combination of ortho (referring to the bones, joints, muscles, and tendons) and biologics, which in this context means…read more

Is Surgery Necessary for a Torn Meniscus? More Research

Is surgery necessary for a torn meniscus? The answer, based on the research, is now clear. If you’re over age 35, the most common surgery used to treat a torn meniscus called partial meniscectomy is useless. Now new research out of Johns Hopkins quantifies the massive scale of the epidemic of ineffective knee meniscus surgeries…read more

Stem Cell Institute of America Brochure Review

It’s been a while since I have blogged on the Stem Cell Institute of America. Mostly because I haven’t been seeing as much, but I get sent stuff all the time and this past week I was sent one of their brochures. It was so inaccurate that I thought it was worth a blog all…read more

Stem Cells and Severe Ankle Arthritis: A Nepal Trekker Gets Her Hike Back

I see great stories from patients who we’ve treated with interventional orthobiologics all day, but I tend to write about the ones that surprise me. This is the story of a truly crazy path to recovery that begins in Nepal, circles through Grand Cayman, and then finally back to Denver. The craziest thing about this…read more

What’s the Difference Between PRP and Platelet Lysate?

In this article: What are platelets? Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) Platelet lysate PRP vs platelet lysate One of the reasons I blog is to make sure that almost every possible question a patient could ask is covered by a detailed answer. This week a patient commented on one of my old YouTube videos on platelet lysate,…read more

What Is A2M, and How Can It Help Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis?

We have used A2M in patients with significant knee swelling and as a cartilage protectant in osteoarthritis (OA). However, this new study suggests that it may prevent cartilage breakdown in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as well. What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis? Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a much different disease from osteoarthritis. When we talk about arthritis, in general,…read more

Do You Need to Burn Neck Nerves to Help Chronic Pain?

Neck pain caused by an injury or car accident can be life-changing. Just ask Sarah, who sent Dr. Markle a thank you note this week because he was able to use precisely guided orthobiologic injections to get her life back instead of damaging radiofrequency procedures. Let’s dive in to see what happened. Cervical Radiofrequency: How…read more

StemShot Review II: Is the Umbilical Cord “Stem Cell” Game More About Business than Medicine?

One of the most bizarre things about amniotic and umbilical cord “stem cell” products is that if these products really had living stem cells, they would be illegal cellular drugs in violation of US Food and Drug law. Of course, every one we’ve tested consists of dead and dying cells, so that’s good in one…read more