May 22, 2018
It happens every year since the day I was born, there is a birthday celebration in my home and it happens again this week. Sure, I have a little more graying of my hair; but fortunately, I have my hair. I also have an activity level that would not have been possible, given the arthritis in my knees and hips, unless I had undergone restorative and regenerative intervention taking advantage of Bone Marrow Concentrate and Platelet Rich Plasma Offerings as I write about in these blogs.
To give you some insight of what is possible no matter your age and before you become a couch potato owing to pain and functional limits imposed by arthritis, let me describe what I have planned for the Memorial Day weekend. You might recall that I was experiencing progressive functional limitation until a regenerative procedure was completed on my knees, December, 27, 2017 followed by a similar procedure in my hips on January 11, 2018. On this upcoming Thursday, I will begin planting a relatively large vegetable garden in the mid-day when we arrive in Southwest Wisconsin followed by a late afternoon 30-mile bike ride. First, we stop at the Amish Greenhouse in our neck of the woods to collect the vegetables and Herbs. On Friday the cycling and planting will continue; Saturday will be a half day of fly fishing followed by more planting and then another 30-mile bike ride. Sunday will be a repeat of Saturday after the evening outdoor barbecue. Monday morning is another half day of fly fishing, then planting of the herb plot after which we return to Chicago and office patients on Tuesday.
I felt your pain until I took advantage of the possibility for functional restoration and joint regeneration that I offer my patients. No more kvetching from me. The way I want to live is the way I practice. I am not ready to slow down even though birthdays are being celebrated each year; and I don’t have to alter my way of life; having enjoyed symptom relief and functional restoration via Bone Marrow Concentrate and Platelet Rich Plasma offerings.
To learn about how you might continue to enjoy or perhaps return to an active, symptom free lifestyle, call (312) 475-1893 To schedule an appointment. You may visit my blog at HTTP://www.ILcellulartherapy.com where you may watch the webinar
Tags: autologous injection, autologous platelet and growth factor concentrate, autologous platelet concentrate, Bone Marrow Concentrate, cellular orthopedics, cellular therapy, Hip Arthritis, Hip pain, joint health, joint regeneration, joint replacement, joint restoration, knee arthritis, knee pain, Platelet Rich Plasma, Regenerative Pain Center, Regenexx
May 14, 2018
“Mitch, not sure if you heard, but the FDA via the DOJ has requested injunctions against the mothership clinics of Berman and Lander, as well as the US Stem Cell clinic run by Comella. We can hope that criminal indictments might follow, since they certainly are some of the most flagrant violators of the law in recent med I can think of. The SCIA group can’t be too far behind. It seems that advertising all kinds of cures for everything that ails the patient makes you a higher priority target.” (Personal communication)
I am dedicated to providing patients with the best possible care in regenerative medicine and am pleased to announce that I have adopted a technology platform developed by Greyledge Technologies (Vail, CO). Their technology to generate platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and bone marrow-derived cell concentrate (BMC) is derived from successfully operating a laboratory that is registered with the FDA (listed as a “component preparation and collection facility”, FEI 3008724474), which has cleared two audits with no issues. Based on their platform, I offer my patients customized therapy, since each preparation is analyzed for platelets, red blood cells and white blood cells (among 23 parameters), which I review prior to treatment. This knowledge permits me to make adjustments based on my more than 40 years of experience in orthopedic surgical and now cellular orthopedic practice. No other system or technology gives me this kind of capability to personalize your treatment.
As a result of the technology I have adopted, my office has been able to create a scientific outcomes data base using the same parameters in cellular orthopedics as when I was the director at one of the five largest joint replacement programs in the country. At that time, I pioneered the integration of patient are with research and education. The latter allowed me to rise to the position of full professor; having publish over 75 scientific articles in the field of hip and knee joint replacement. I am happy to update you with the fact that I am at it again. On June 10, my paper concerning the preliminary outcomes of combined intraarticular and intraosseous stem cell intervention for knee arthritis will be presented in Las Vegas at of The Orthopedic and Biologic Institute (TOBI) annual meeting. The manuscript concerning Autologous Bone Marrow Concentrate and Platelet Product for Symptomatic Knee Arthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Minimum 2 Year Follow-Up was submitted to a major orthopedic journal and is one of three papers I have been invited to deliver from the scientific podium of The Medrebels, October 26 to 28 meeting in Austin, Texas.
If you want to avail yourself of the best opportunity to postpone, perhaps avoid a joint replacement for arthritis while enjoying pain relief and restoration of an active life style, chose science over advertised anecdote. Call (312) 475-1893 to schedule an appointment. You may access my website and watch the webinar at www.Ilcellulartherapy.com.
Tags: APGC injection, arthritis, BMC injection, Bone Marrow Concentrate, bone on bone, Greyledge, Growth Factor Concentrate, Hip pain, intraarticular, intraosseous, joint pain, knee pain, Medrebels, Osteoarthritis, PRP, stem cell intervention, TOBI
Apr 30, 2018
In the ongoing initiative to remain in the forefront of cellular orthopedic offerings for arthritis, “a needle, not a knife”, it was time to advance my skills when dealing with low back pain. About 70% of my patients, in addition to major joint disease, present with degenerative disc and facet joint generated symptoms. At times, it is difficult to determine as to whether hip and knees symptoms come from those joints or are referred from the low back so off I went for Continuing Education. Arriving in San Jose on Thursday, mid- day, and activating my cell phone to see how the world might have changed over the past 4 1/2 hours during my flight, I found an e-mail from my daughter, a physical therapist:
Jack Nicklaus reveals his secret, experimental stem cell therapy in CNN interview
“I’m not a doctor, but I think that stem cell is going to change…the direction of orthopedics, totally,” Nicklaus said, remarking the procedure has given him the opportunity to keep teeing it up. “As long as my stem cells allow me…Golf is a game of a lifetime, I hope to play for my lifetime”. –Joel Beall
How about that one for timing; thank you CNN. Now we may add to the list of celebrities who have undergone regenerative medicine interventions but golfing great Jack Nicklaus deserves special attention. Unlike the star athletes who continually undergo stem cell and PRP interventions so as to compete such as Fred Couples, Steph Curry and an ever- increasing list; Nicklaus underwent a restorative procedure to his back so he could just enjoy a painless round of golf. It is Sunday and I am headed home. Now I am better prepared to help you restore your active lifestyle and overcome limitations imposed by osteoarthritis in a major joint or the low back.
The algorithm of care requires an office assessment and review of images including X-rays, MRIs and at times, a CT scan. Whether further preliminary study is needed will be subsequently determined; and I emphasize, the process may not be “one and done”. After age 45, it more often than not restoration, not regeneration, so maintenance may periodically be needed. Last of all, the improvement following any regenerative or restorative intervention may take 6 to 12 weeks at a minimum.
The next step is your phone call to schedule a consultation. (312) 475-1893
You may view my web site and watch the webinar at www.Ilcellulartherapy.com
A website update to include the low back is forthcoming
Tags: arthritis, degenerative disc, jack nicklaus, low back pain, lumbar pain, Osteoarthritis, regenerative medicine, stem cell therapy
Apr 26, 2018
On Wednesday, I completed several bone marrow concentrate procedures for patients with arthritic knees. You will recall that Concentrated Bone Marrow contains living Adult Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Growth Factors, Platelets, Exosomes, Precursor Cells and more allowing for pain relief, improved function and possible regeneration in those afflicted by arthritis. In the afternoon, four patients underwent Autologous Platelet and Growth Factor interventions; two in the hip and two in their knees. An example of the outcome, now four months following intervention in my own knees and hips, I spent last weekend hiking along several spring creeks, fly fishing in Southwest Wisconsin in the morning and planting over 150 Lilly bulbs in the afternoon. Admittedly, I slept well on Saturday and Sunday night but visited the health club on these past Tuesday and Wednesday evenings for my fitness routines.
On Monday, we finalized and edited a manuscript reporting the results of 56 patients with arthritic knees, followed for 2 to 4 years having received Bone Marrow Concentrate. Using the same outcome metrics and statistical tabulation methods I had employed as a joint replacement surgeon, this study is one of the most significant trials ever completed and to be published in Cellular Orthopedics. Our study not only will help determine the indications for a “stem cell” procedure, but also assist in determining how long the benefits will last, and provide a road map for when adjunct or repeat interventions are indicated. Now the physician will be better prepared to help a patient decide between a Total Joint Replacement and a Cellular Orthopedic intervention on an evidence based knowledge.
I am writing this Blog while flying to San Jose, California where I am partaking in advanced training that will allow me to expand my regenerative medicine practice to the low back. Again and again, patients ask as to what I might offer to address low back pain and disc disease now that I have successfully intervened in an arthritic hip or knee. Indications and techniques for addressing the lumbar spine will make up the curriculum enabling me to add discogenic and degenerative arthritic conditions of the low back to my scope of regenerative care by mid May.
To the patient who called, “I heard through the grapevine that it doesn’t work”, you may avoid falling victim to the Fake Stem Cell claims in newspaper ads or via celebrity testimonials; those in amniotic fluid are dead on arrival to you. Seek scientific evidence at (312) 475-1893 or learn more on my web site where you may watch my webinar www.Ilcellulartherapy.com.
Tags: Adult Mesenchymal Stem Cells, arthritic conditions, back pain, cellular orthopedics, Concentrated Bone Marrow, degenerative disc disease, discogenic, Exosomes, Growth Factors, Hip pain, joint pain, knee pain, Osteoarthritis, platelets, Precursor Cells, Regenerative Pain Center, shoulder pain, stem cell therapy
Apr 5, 2018
If you remember those children’s song lyrics, you will march right up the skeleton. The orthopedic message is that what’s happening in your foot and ankle will affect the well-being of your knee and hip. I was reminded of the continuum on Tuesday when a patient I had treated in November of 2017 returned for follow up this past Tuesday. Once a prominent running back at the college level, he had presented 20 years after a “high ankle sprain” with a Talar Dome Lesion at the right ankle and early onset post traumatic arthritis; in plain speak, an injury to the cartilage and underlying bone. Not only did the right ankle impairment affect his foot and ankle, he was experiencing progressive pain in his knee and hip thus altering his gait, his fitness pursuits and forcing change in his recreational profile. Running was no longer possible nor was snowboarding.
Increasingly, these Talar Dome lesions or osteochondral injuries are being diagnosed long after what was thought to have been a sprained ankle. In the case of my patient, last November, I performed a minimally invasive procedure wherein bone marrow was aspirated from his pelvis, concentrated, processed, and injected into both the ankle joint and bone marrow defect of the talus under fluoroscopic guidance. Osteochondral injuries and bone marrow lesions are a continuum of small posttraumatic defects that pathologists have shown represent a failed healing response. Most readily diagnosed on an MRI, with time, a rim of sclerosis may develop so the abnormality may lend itself to diagnosis with an X-ray. This type of defect is not limited to the ankle and may be found throughout the extremities and pelvis. They may be found in any joint region that sees weight bearing or repetitive stress though; most commonly, they are associated with trauma as was the case, though long removed in my patient.
In the case of this vignette, on Tuesday I had determined that ankle and subtalar joint motions had become symmetrical. He no longer complained of pain; equally important, the bony defect and joint changes could no longer be seen on X-ray. In short, he had healed. In the past six months, I have followed two other equally rewarding Bone Marrow (stem cell/growth factor/platelet) intervention outcomes at the talus and more than six around the knee.
If you are experiencing joint pain and altered function without an explanation or in spite of a course of “conservative” treatment, it may be time to learn more about how Bone Marrow Concentrate, that is stem cells, platelets and growth factors, may relieve bone and joint pain, restore function and help you postpone, perhaps even avoid a major surgical procedure.
Call 312 475 1896 to schedule a consultation or visit my web site and watch the webinar at www.ilcellulartherapy.com
Tags: ankle pain, bone lesion, bone marrow, Cartilage, joint pain, Mesenchymal Stem Cell, Osteoarthritis, osteochondral defect, osteochondral injurie, Osteochondritis Dissecans, Subchondroplasty, Talar Dome lesions
Mar 13, 2018
I write this Blog as an Orthopedic Surgeon following the 2018 annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, just concluded in New Orleans. The topic matter is of sufficient concern that Use and Abuse of Biologics became an agenda focus receiving several hours of attention.
Clinical use of biologics to treat all health problems has greatly outpaced the evidence. Every office day, patients bring advertisements about Stem Cells appearing in the print media. The enticing cure all claims and testimonials are quite seductive. Concerns over misinformation from direct-to-consumer marketing of unproven treatments have led to recent calls to action from government and scientific agencies, including the National Academy of Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
These calls to action are of special relevance to orthopedics because a recent study showed that more than 85 percent of 351 businesses, which represent 570 clinics across the country, were marketing “stem cell” treatments for musculoskeletal problems. Analyses of these treatments show a diversity of offerings with most clinics using preparations that do not contain clinically significant numbers of stem cells. Widespread use of these cash-for-service, unproven, and poorly described treatments raise concerns for public health and safety.
The Academy collaborated with the National Institutes of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) and held a think tank symposium on “Optimizing Clinical Use of Biologics in Orthopedic Surgery” on Feb. 15–17. 2018, at Stanford University to accomplish the following objectives:
- establish a clear, collective impact agenda for the clinical evaluation, use, and, optimization of biologics in orthopedics
- develop a guidance document on clinically meaningful endpoints and outcome metrics for the evaluation of biologics for common orthopedic problems
The symposium addressed key issues including poor definition of treatments and mechanisms of action; lack of standardized data and outcomes collection and reporting in existing clinical studies; and minimal evidence to support the myriad of ailments treated with these products. Leaders from clinical medicine, research, and government, as well as young investigators selected through a competitive process, participated in the event.
I am happy to be one of the first orthopedic surgeons in the Midwest limiting my practice to cellular orthopedics. Additionally, based on my model of having integrated patient care with outcomes surveillance as a joint replacement surgeon, anticipating and contributing to the new world of evidence-based regenerative medicine, I already have in place a cooperative venture allowing me to measure the platelets, growth factors and now stem cells that have been injected into a joint or the bone adjacent to that joint. I don’t know of any other practice or center that can make this claim. My team has entered into discussions to designate our model as the foundation for the future methodology of clinical evaluation, use and optimization of biologics in orthopedics.
As a patient, you have a choice to make: either respond to a marketing scheme or be educated and seek evidence before undergoing a “stem cell” procedure.
To schedule an appointment call 312 312 475 1893
Visit my web site and watch the webinar www.ilcellulartherapy.com
Tags: biologic intervention, cellular orthopedics, National Institutes of Arthritis
