An Overview on Stem Cell Joint Injections
The human body is placed under a great amount of stress every day while performing normal tasks, work-related movements and sports movements. As the body ages, or is put under extreme repetitive stress, the joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles may be injured. Dr. Jervis Yau offers stem cell therapy as a treatment option for patients living in Santa Barbara, Goleta, Santa Maria and Ventura, California. Stem cell therapy is an office-based treatment that aims to promote regeneration and accelerate healing for various types of musculoskeletal injury.
What are Stem Cells?
Stem cells are what the body depends on for healing after injury. It also serves to maintain healthy tissues through normal cell turnover during activities of daily living. Two main types of stem cells are currently being utilized in orthopedics.
- Autologous adult stem cells (autograft): harvested from a patient’s pelvis.
- Amniotic stem cells (allograft): harvested from a donor’s amniotic sac after delivery of her baby.
What Orthopedic Injuries can Stem Cell Therapy Treat?
Stem cell injections are gaining popularity as a safe, effective and non-surgical treatment option for various orthopedic injuries including, but not limited to the following:
- Tendon injuries
- Ligament injuries
- Muscle injuries
- Fractures
- Osteoarthritis
How are Stem Cell Injections Performed?
Adult autologous stem cell therapy involves harvesting a small amount of bone marrow directly from the patient’s pelvis. Once the sample is collected, it will be spun at high speeds in a centrifuge to separate the autologous stem cells, platelets, plasma, white blood cells and red blood cells. Dr. Yau will then combine the healing agents and inject them directly into the damaged area. The healing agents will work in unison to accelerate healing and promote tissue regeneration.
Amniotic stem cells are shipped frozen overnight and defrosted at the time of injection. Once defrosted, the amniotic stem cells and growth factors are injected into the affected area to stimulate tissue regeneration and healing.
It is important to note that stem cell therapy is not appropriate for all patients. Dr. Yau typically recommends these injections to patients with ongoing symptoms due to soft tissue and bone injuries, as well as patients with osteoarthritis where complete collapse of the joint is not present.
Patients over the age of 65 years generally achieve better results using amniotic stem cells
If you live in the Santa Barbara, Goleta, Santa Maria and Ventura, California communities and would like more details on adult stem cell therapy, or would like to determine if stem cell injections will treat your injury, please contact the office of Dr. Jervis Yau.
