What Triathlete Knee Pain? Grateful Triathlete Uses Own Stem Cells to Help Knee

triathlon knee pain

Triathlete knee pain can sideline the best of them, especially in the running or cycling portions of the event. All too often, triathletes opt for invasive surgical quick fixes that leave them with more knee arthritis in the long run. We’ve been treating triathletes for many years, working to help Neurosurgeon Joe Maroon use his own stem cells to complete several Hawaii Iron man events. We’ve also treated other athletes and highlighted their triathlon knee pain stories. Today’s triathlete is a woman with bad knee arthritis who first saw Dr. Newton in February.

Mechelle is a 45 year old woman who had long standing knee pain which was manageable with a knee arthropscopy and medications until the spring of 2013. She first tried cortisone, which didn’t help. She then tried Euflexxa (a knee gel lubricant), which helped for about 6 months. She then began to have knee locking episodes and an MRI showed that her knee had a very poor ACL ligament with significant loss of cartilage in the outside compartment with an extruded and macerated (aka torn up) meniscus. She had also tried myofasical release and acupuncture. The orthopedic surgeons she consulted told her that she needed more surgery, but having been down that route, sought an alternative. Dr. Newton performed the Regenexx-AD procedure on her knee in Feburary and treated the extruded meniscus and what was left of the ACL under precise ultrasound and fluoroscopic guidance. The result? Here’s her e-mail to Dr. Newton:

“Dr. Ben, Thank you for the new knee! I finished my first triathlon in 2 hours,  2 minutes 3 seconds!  I promised you a picture at the finish.  It is so amazing to know that in February I couldn’t walk around my classroom and on June 21st I was able to complete a triathlon!  Thank you! S. Mechelle Powers”

Mechelle’s race picture is above. We’re glad we could help yet another triathlete continue to compete!

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Chris Centeno, MD is a specialist in regenerative medicine and the new field of Interventional Orthopedics. Centeno pioneered orthopedic stem cell procedures in 2005 and is responsible for a large amount of the published research on stem cell use for orthopedic applications. View Profile

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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.

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