Hip Tendon Tear Recovery Without Surgery
Are You a Regenexx Candidate?Can You Treat Hip Tendon Tears Without Surgery?
Yes. At Regenexx we have successfully treated hip tendon tears without surgery. Whether a hip tendon tear is due to an acute injury or a degenerative condition, interventional orthopedic procedures can reduce pain and may help your body promote its own abilities to heal tendon tears without surgery. That means a shorter recovery time and fewer potential complications as compared with invasive hip surgeries.
| Regenexx-SD | Surgery | |
|---|---|---|
| Return to Daily Routine | 2 to 5 days | 6+ weeks |
| Return to Sports | 3 to 6 months | 1 year |
| Recovery | Brace, up to 6 weeks PT | Crutches, brace, extensive, no driving, 3 to 6 months PT |
| Pain Management | Mostly over-the-counter pain medication (days) | Prescription pain medication for weeks (weeks) |
| General Anesthesia | No | Yes |
| Keep Your Hip Joint | Yes | No |
How Does Regenexx Work?
Regenexx physicians use image guidance technology to precisely inject your own bone marrow concentrate — which contains stems cells — directly where it’s needed to repair damaged tissue in the hip joint structure.1-3
The cells in your bone marrow concentrate work at the site of your injury to promote the growth of new, healthy tissue that aids in the stabilization of your hip joint for better function and mobility.4
Am I a candidate?Regenexx Procedures for Hip Tendon Tears
During appointments, Regenexx physicians examine your body in motion and may use ultrasound to observe the inner workings of the hip in real time. This gives them a more accurate picture of what’s contributing to your pain, how function is affected, and the root cause of the problem.
Once you’ve been evaluated, your physician will customize a treatment plan based on your specific needs. Our treatments include:
Regenexx-SD: a patented protocol using bone marrow concentrate that contains stem cells
Regenexx-SCP: a proprietary formulation of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) that’s more concentrated than what a basic bedside centrifuge can produce
Regenexx-PL: platelet lysate, which is a highly specialized derivative of platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
FAQs
No. Some hip tendon tears cause no pain nor any other signs or symptoms, particularly Grade 1 injuries, in which the tendon is slightly stretched and only a few fibers are torn.
Yes, most hip tendon tears can be identified with an MRI. They provide good definition for large muscles, labrum and tendon tears, and areas of inflammation.
Generally, a physician or orthopedic surgeon will initially recommend rest, ice, anti-inflammatory medication for pain relief, massage, stretching, and strengthening through physical therapy. If the problem persists, corticosteroid injections or hip tendon repair surgery are often recommended.1
Hip tendon repair surgery can involve sewing together tears, cutting the tendon to try to get it to heal, or lengthening a tight tendon. While this approach may lead to relief of the pain and other symptoms, shortening or lengthening of the tendon often leads to other problems, including:
- Severe and permanent injury to the ligaments, muscles, and fascia around the joint
- Chronic pain
- Damage to chromosomes caused by debris from hip replacement metal
- Cobalt and chromium toxicity
- Tissue irritation that may cause pseudotumors (a growth caused by irritation from the hip replacement device)
- Allergic reaction to hip replacement materials
- Hip instability
Moreover, the underlying biomechanical problem that led to the initial tendon injury (hip impingement, tendonitis, tendonosis, arthritis, labral tears, avascular necrosis, etc.) has not been resolved, despite a lengthy recovery. To make matters worse, tendons can have a poor blood supply and therefore may not heal well after surgery, making reinjury more likely.2
Tendons are tough cords made of straight, parallel fibers of collagen that attach muscles to bones. There are two tendons that attach at the outer aspect of the hip at the head of the femur: the gluteus minimus and gluteus medius.
Both of these abduct the hip to move the leg outward, while the gluteus minimus also works as the primary internal rotator of the hip (i.e., it twists your thigh inward). Other hip tendons often subject to tears are the iliotibial (IT) band and hamstring tendon.
Three of the most common causes of damage to the hip tendons:
Tendonitis occurs as a result of acute inflammation, often due to overuse or repetitive motion. There’s usually no permanent damage to the underlying tissues.
Tendinosis, on the other hand, occurs when there is chronic damage and degradation to the tendon to such a degree that it becomes hard, thick, scarred, and rubbery. It generally results in pain and loss of joint flexibility and function and can involve several tendons surrounding the hip joint.
Tendon tears, which are typically classified according to severity:5
- Grade 1 (Mild): The muscle and/or tendon has been slightly overstretched, but there is no pain or instability.
- Grade 2 (Moderate): The muscle and/or tendon has been torn slightly, and there may be moderate tenderness, swelling, pain, and bruising as well as some instability and loss of function.
- Grade 3 (Severe): The muscle and/or tendon is completely ruptured (torn), with severe swelling, pain, and bruising. The patient may be unable to bear weight and have moderate to severe instability and loss of function.
Get started to see if you are a Regenexx candidate
To talk one-on-one with one of our team members about how Regenexx may be able to help your orthopedic pain or injury, please complete the form below and we will be in touch with you within the next business day.
References
1.Centeno CJ. Efficacy and Safety of Bone Marrow Concentrate for Osteoarthritis of the Hip; Treatment Registry Results for 196 Patients. J Stem Cell Res Ther 2014;04(10). doi:10.4172/2157-7633.1000242.
2. Friedlis MF, Centeno CJ. Performing a Better Bone Marrow Aspiration. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2016 Nov;27(4):919-939. doi: 10.1016/j.pmr.2016.06.009. PMID: 27788908.
3. Centeno CJ, Kisiday J, Freeman M, Schultz JR. Partial regeneration of the human hip via autologous bone marrow nucleated cell transfer: A case study. Pain Physician. 2006 Jul;9(3):253-6.
