The Regenexx Procedure Difference: Inventing the Tools of a New Medical Specialty
The field of orthopedics has been for the most part surgical for the last two generations. It’s seen amazing advances such as the advent of arthroscopic surgery, external fixation of fractures, and a panoply of screws, wires, and devices used to surgically fix broken tendons, bones, ligaments, and muscles. However, what hasn’t happened in orthopedics is the move toward truly minimally invasive treatments. In other fields like cardiology we’ve seen a re-engineering of the field from big surgeries (like open heart procedures) to true “through a needle” minimally invasive treatments. These re-engineering efforts in cardiology have lead to a whole new medical field known as “interventional cardiology”. We at the Centeno-Schultz clinic believe it’s time for the same revolution to take place in orthopedic care, or what we call “Interventional Orthopedics”. For example, we have a full time bio-engineering staff, lab research staff, and clinical research staff to develop the next generation of physical and biologic tools needed to allow procedures that are now performed surgically to be accomplished through a needle. Let me provide some examples of the new technologies we have in the development pipeline:
-A novel device that allows us to keep stem cells healthy in suspension so that they can be more accurately placed and localized on a specific orthopedic lesion
-New types of needles and catheters designed to place cells in very specific areas where traditional and existing needles can’t reach
-New bio-scaffolds to allow stem cells to do their work better and faster
-New ways to prepare common things like PRP and same day stem cell preps that will allow cells to be exactly primed to accomplish their work better in the body
-New ways to place cells through a needle, but that also allow the doctor to visualize where the cells are going
These unique devices and procedure innovations, when ready, will only be available at our Colorado site, our Cayman Islands site, or through our Regenexx network of highly qualified and trained providers. The upshot? Stem cells are helpful tools, but unless an entire new field is birthed to use them in new and less invasive ways, they will only become a surgical upgrade rather than an orthopedic care revolution. We prefer the less invasive revolution over the more invasive upgrade…
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NOTE: This blog post provides general information to help the reader better understand regenerative medicine, musculoskeletal health, and related subjects. All content provided in this blog, website, or any linked materials, including text, graphics, images, patient profiles, outcomes, and information, are not intended and should not be considered or used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please always consult with a professional and certified healthcare provider to discuss if a treatment is right for you.
