ACL Tear Management Without Surgery In Waterloo, IA

Do you have an MRI-confirmed partial or complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and have been told surgery is your only option?

Perc-ACLR (percutaneous ACL repair) is a procedure that Regenexx physicians created to treat full and partial anterior cruciate ligament tears non-surgically. ACL tears are one of the more common knee injuries we treat, and many non-retracted full and partial tears can be treated in all but the most serious cases.

Repair of ACL tear without surgery

You have some important things to consider in making the best decision for your recovery, your return to sport or normal activity, and, ultimately, your long-term health. At Regenexx, our goal is to save your ACL, not replace it. The existing research and our significant expertise support the possibility for successful natural healing of ACL injuries.

The Per-ACLR is a highly precise X-ray guided injection of your own orthopedic bone marrow concentrate and can be completed in one day. It is far less invasive than surgery, and generally requires far shorter recovery times.

  Perc-ACLR Surgery
Procedure Invasiveness Much less Much more
Return to Sports 3 to 6 months 1 year
Keep your ACL Yes NO
Recovery Brace, much less extensive PT Crutches, brace, extensive PT

3630 W. 4th Street
Waterloo, IA 50703

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Doctors

Dr. Ashar Afzal practices Interventional Pain Medicine with UnityPoint Health in Waterloo, Iowa. He graduated from Allama Iqbal Medical College/Punjab University, Lahore, Pakistan. He completed his residency at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA for Anesthesiology. Dr. Afzal completed Pain Medicine fellowship at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA. In 2005, Dr. Afzal became American Board Certified in Anesthesiology/Pain Medicine. In 2021, he received specialized training at Centeno-Schultz Clinic in Denver, Colorado for procedures using Regenexx injectates.

Dr. Afzal has interest in Chronic Pain Management, Regional Anesthesia, Perioperative Pain Management and has a special interest in Regenerative Medicine, which includes the use of biologics such as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), Super Concentrated Plasma (SCP), and bone marrow concentrate which contains stem cells to treat acute and chronic conditions and arthritis. In 2021, Dr. Afzal started to include Regenerative Medicine into his Interventional Pain Medicine Practice and was the first physician in Waterloo, Iowa. Dr. Afzal’s staff also received specialized training at Centeno-Schultz Clinic in Denver, Colorado.

Dr. Afzal lives in the Cedar Valley with his family. He enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, swimming, and squash.

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Website

cvpain.com

Areas Treated

Cervical Spine (Not Upper Cervical or CCI)*, Elbow, Foot & Ankle, Hand & Wrist, Hip, Knee, Lumbar Spine, Shoulder, Thoracic Spine

*This provider is NOT authorized by Regenexx to treat the C0-C1 or C1-C2 levels of the neck or CCI (craniocervical instability).

How Does Regenexx Work?

At Regenexx, we invented a new approach to orthopedic care we call Interventional Orthopedics. This minimally invasive alternative to ACL surgery uses ultrasound-guided technology to precisely inject your own bone marrow concentrate — which contains stem cells — directly where it’s needed in the joint.

The cells in your bone marrow concentrate work at the site of your injury to promote your body’s natural healing abilities to treat the tear and avoid surgery1.

Regenexx For ACL Tears: Perc-ACLR

The procedure usually occurs over one day. First, your Regenexx doctor will extract a small amount of bone marrow using precise imaging guidance, a specialized extraction technique unique to Regenexx.

Once the marrow is drawn and processed by a Regenexx lab technician, you will have time to relax before the reinjection of the harvested bone marrow concentrate into your ACL, done three to six hours later.

Specialized local anesthesia is applied before the reinjection using fluoroscopy (real-time imaging guidance). MRI imaging along with X-ray contrast is used to carefully map the torn ligament during the procedure, providing a “roadmap” for your doctor to implant bone marrow concentrate into the damaged areas of the ligament.

After the procedure, your joint will be sore for one to three days, but the pain will become less severe and less frequent within five to seven days. Most patients note that they see improvement to their ACL within a month and can resume light activities and begin physical therapy.

Am I a candidate?

Watch a real patient’s Regenexx procedure

BEFORE and AFTER Procedure MRI Images

Take a look at the outcomes of patients who had a procedure instead of ACL surgery.

The BEFORE shows a torn ACL. The area should be a dark band going diagonally, as shown on the AFTER.

Knee MRI ACL Tear Before & After
Knee MIR ACL Tear Before & After

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Please note our procedures are only covered by self-funded health plans at this time.

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What about health insurance or medical benefits? What may be covered or reimbursed depends on the details of your plan. Insurance typically covers evaluations and diagnostic testing (if recommended) but most do not cover Regenexx Procedures. Some Employer specific Regenexx Benefits plans do also cover Regenexx Procedures. Your plan’s representative can help verify your benefits, out-of-pocket costs, and coverage.

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