Regenerative medicine
Regenerative medicine is an innovative field of healthcare focused on harnessing the body’s natural ability to heal and regenerate damaged tissues and organs. It involves using stem cells, tissue engineering, growth factors, and other techniques to promote healing and repair in conditions ranging from orthopedic injuries to chronic diseases.
Subscribe to the BlogIs Injecting Bupivacaine or Lidocaine into a Joint Malpractice?
This week a patient sent a note that her mom was to undergo surgery and the anesthesia crew was planning on using the local anesthetic bupivacaine. She knew from reading the blog that this wasn’t a good idea, so let’s explore just how nasty this drug is to joints and why doctors are still using…read more
My New Annual All Stem Cell Type Orthopedic Infographic
As I promised yesterday, for the first year ever, I have updated my orthopedic stem-cell-research infographic to include other stem cell sources outside of bone marrow. It’s exciting to finally have enough data on fat to believe that it will be a factor in what’s best for orthopedic patients. (Click here for a larger view)…read more 2017 Orthopedic Bone Marrow Stem Cell Research Infographic
Every year for the last four to five or so, I have compiled a list of the published bone marrow stem cell research. Since I’ve updated this every spring, here’s my 2017 edition. Overall, 2016–2017 has been a mixed year for bone marrow stem cell publications. The good news is that we’ve seen higher quality,…read more Reports of the Death of the C1–C2 Facet Injection Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
In 1897, Mark Twain was on a speaking tour in London when an American newspaper started a rumor that he was gravely ill. This was soon followed by an obituary. When asked by an American reporter in London about his death, Twain quipped, “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” I feel the same…read more Disc Replacement Side Effects: New Research Is Concerning
The whole idea behind disc replacement is that it should have fewer side effects than fusing the spine. The artificial disc allows motion, which is, in theory, similar to a normal biologic disc. However, what if an artificial disc ended up distorting normal motion so badly that it still caused the disc above and below…read more Cervical Disc Replacement Complications: Metal Ions
We ended the 20th century with the idea that we could cut out parts of a person, like a joint or a disc, and insert metal and achieve great things. Then reality got in the way, in that studies began to show that these metal or plastic or ceramic parts wear down and those particles…read more Prolotherapy for CCJ Instability: Keeping Patients Safe
Patients with craniocervical joint (CCJ) instability will often be offered prolotherapy injections. While much of this is performed blind, some physicians will use guidance. However, while guidance is used, many times it’s not used with contrast. Why is this an issue? Let me explain. What Is Prolotherapy? Prolotherapy is one of the earliest regenerative-medicine procedures. It…read more Does Smoking Damage Stem Cells?
Patients often ask questions about how best to optimize their stem cells. I guess another question is what not to do if you’re planning a stem cell procedure. A recent research study suggests that smoking is not a good idea and likely damages your stem cells. Smoking Affects Multiple Body Systems Not smoking cigarettes is…read more 
