The Interventional Orthobiologics Blog
Blog covering topics and research in interventional orthobiologics, interventional orthopedics, and orthopedic procedures.
Can PRP Help Early Hip Arthritis Patients Avoid Surgery?
There’s a new concept that gets introduced with regenerative medicine. That’s the idea that we can reduce degeneration in early arthritis or intervene early in tendon and ligament injuries. We’ve done that for our patients for many years, but we’re now beginning to see the research catch up. This morning I’ll review a new study…read more
How Much Does an Unneccessary Cervical Fusion Cost?
We see the craziest stuff day in and out from spine surgeons. This week Dr. Schultz had a patient almost get completely unnecessary spine surgery. So today we’ll calculate the cost of that screw-up, which is very, very common. Let me explain. A Misdiagnosed Patient The patient came in pointing at one spot at the…read more Can You Get Rid of a Cervical Disc Bulge with an Injection of Bone Marrow Stem Cells?
The holy grail of neck and back disc treatment is regrowing new discs by injecting something. However, so far, no clinical study to date has really confirmed that this is possible. Having said that, we’ve seen that injecting special stem cell types into low back discs can get rid of disc bulges. This morning I’d…read more Slamming Patients into Stem Cell Procedures They Don’t Need: PRP vs Stem Cells
While we were the first clinic on earth to use bone marrow stem cells to treat a myriad of common orthopedic conditions, the funny thing is, we have never used stem cells as our first-line orthobiologic of choice. Why? As I tell my patients every week, it’s my job to choose the least invasive, cheapest…read more Waiting on ACL Surgery Protects Knee Cartilage
Repairing the ACL within a few weeks or months of injury has become the standard of care. However, is this really best for the patient? A new study demonstrates that we may be harming more patients with this approach than we’re helping. Let’s review. ACL Reconstruction I have seen many surgeons conclude that ACL reconstruction…read more Transcatheter Arterial Embolization for Tennis Elbow: Using a Nuke to Kill a Fly
There is a Chinese proverb from Confucius that states, “Never use a cannon to kill a mosquito.” However, in medicine, there’s also another saying: “When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” Where those two intersect is when doctors use overly invasive treatments to try to cure problems that can be…read more 