The Interventional Orthobiologics Blog

The Curious Case of the Bad Artificial Disc

I often write about what I experience day in and day out in the clinic. The case this morning is of a patient who had an Artificial Disc placed and developed new pain. After a few in-clinic x-rays, a problem with the disc was discovered. So let’s use this opportunity to review the concept of…read more

My Elbow and Getting on Top of Early Arthritis

Several years ago I had a really bad fall onto my right wrist. Now my elbow hurts. Let’s learn why that is and how that intersects with staying on top of injuries and knowing when to have us intervene. Let’s dig in. My Elbow Story I’d love to tell you that I was screaming down…read more

Just Move…

Does the amount we move reduce our risk of death? That’s a simple question that many studies have ventured to answer. A recent bit of research may make you glad you got a Fitbit for Christmas. Let’s dig in. What Is All-Cause Mortality? Researchers will typically use a metric that they describe as “all-cause mortality”.…read more

Can a PRP Injection Help Your Knee Cartilage Health?

Can a PRP injection help your cartilage? While we’ve had some indications based on animal models that platelet-rich plasma probably helps improve the quality of cartilage, we have had no definitive human evidence. Now a new study using sophisticated MRI techniques adds to that evidence. Imaging and Measuring Cartilage How do we measure the quality…read more

The Weak PRP Files: This Study Showed Good Clinical Results, But No Biomarker Changes

These past few weeks, we’ve seen what happens when academic physicians try to perform PRP studies. Their biggest mistake is often using very weakly concentrated blood that doesn’t meet the definition of PRP. This morning we’ll review a similar study that looked at knee arthritis biomarkers. Prior Weak or Fake PRP Studies As you now…read more

Why Is R3 Still Advertising Stem Cells for Sale?

Here we are, half a year beyond the FDA regulatory crackdown, and you would think that the scam that was umbilical cord “stem cells” was long since over. However, yesterday I got an R3 “stem cell” ad sent to me by a colleague. Let’s dig in. The Urban Myth of Umbilical Cord Stem Cells If…read more