Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Our treatments involve only your own stem cells and involve no more than minimal manipulation of the cells so they are compliant.

Stem Cell Therapy is a proprietary process that produces a unique blend of stem cells (mesenchymal stem cells) and plasma derivatives which are used to enhance your body’s healing mechanism. Stem Cell Therapy involves harvesting your own mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow and then carefully separating and concentrating them by centrifugation prior to injecting the concentrated Stem Cell Therapy product at the site of injury. Our Stem Cell Therapy harnesses and optimizes the regenerative capabilities of your autologous stem cells. Autologous cell therapy has the potential to become a new standard for non-pharmacologic and non-surgical treatment of osteoarthritis and other common orthopedic/musculoskeletal conditions. Autologous stem cell therapy supports the self-healing process of injured tissue through regeneration and signaling pathways, resulting in relief of symptoms.

Stem cells are the cells that control and ultimately divide and change into specific tissue types. In fact, they are called a ‘stem’ cell because the various tissues stem from this cell type. In adults, stem cells are present within different tissues and organ systems, the most common being bone marrow and fat tissues. At SRMC, we use only your own stem cells (autologous) harvested from bone marrow.

Bone marrow is easily obtained and can be processed with minimal manipulation, keeping our procedures in line with FDA guidelines. Importantly, stem cells from bone marrow are closer in cell lineage to cartilage and tendon than those found in fat, which means they require less differentiation to become the cells we want them to become.

At SRMC we treat any condition that is related to the mesenchymal cell line with Stem Cell Therapy. This includes bones, joints, nerves, spine, and skin.

In general, we recommend Stem Cell Therapy for patients with moderate osteoarthritis or degenerative conditions of the hip, knee, shoulder, ankle, wrists or hand.

Patients who are not good candidates for Stem Cell Therapy are:

• Patients with a recent cancer diagnosis who are undergoing treatment
• Patients with blood-borne diseases or malignancies
• Patients with current infections
• Patients on high doses of blood thinner that cannot stop the medication due to a health concern

Yes, the Stem Cell Therapy product primarily stays localized at the injection site.

In some circumstances, it may and there are limited data that suggest the ability to regenerate joint cartilage. However, Stem Cell Therapy primarily provides pain relief and functional improvement by activating a cell signaling process that leads to healing and recovery.

Most patients report only mild discomfort during the procedure and mild tenderness at the needle puncture sites after the procedure. We do offer sedation by our board-certified anesthesiologist should you desire to have no awareness during the procedure.

Absolutely. Dr. Hostetter is a board-certified anesthesiologist who will provide IV sedation during the bone marrow harvest, the injection or both if you desire at minimal cost. Many patients prefer to be “unaware” during the procedure and for these patients, sedation is an excellent option. In the event that you choose to have sedation during your procedure, you will be monitored continuously during the procedure. After the procedure, we will observe you in our recovery area until you have fully recovered from sedation.

On your treatment day, if you are having the procedure done with sedation, we will first place an IV in your hand or arm. If you choose not to have sedation, we will not place an IV. For the Stem Cell Therapy harvest, we will have you lay either on your stomach or your back and position yourself to your comfort. If you are having sedation, that will be started once you are positioned. Your skin will be washed and draped to keep it sterile. We will inject your skin with a local anesthetic. The bone marrow is then harvested using specialized equipment, including either ultrasound or fluoroscopy for visualization during the procedure. This process is usually not painful, with only mild discomfort. After the bone marrow is harvested, we then employ our propriety process of separation and concentration to produce the Stem Cell Therapy product. Once we have the final product, we will then inject the Stem Cell Therapy product at your site of injury. Following the procedure, we will briefly monitor you in our recovery area before discharging you home.

The harvest of cells takes only 20-30 minutes. Injection of the Stem Cell Therapy product takes 10-30 minutes depending on your site of injury. If you are having the procedure without sedation, you can expect to be at our clinic for 60-90 minutes. If you have sedation, expect to be at our clinic for 90-120 minutes.

If you had sedation, you may feel a little tired for a brief period after the procedure. We will monitor you in our recovery area until it is safe for you to go home. Once at home, you may feel tired for a period but should feel back to normal within a few hours. You can expect some tenderness at the needle puncture sites. You may have some mild pain and swelling at the site of injection.

Anytime a needle is used to puncture the skin, there is a risk of bleeding, bruising, pain, infection, or nerve injury. We do all of our procedures using best practices for sterility and safety to minimize the risk of bleeding and infection. Because we utilize fluoroscopy and/or ultrasound during both the harvest and the injection procedures, there is a very low risk of injuring a blood vessel or nerve. That said, it is not unusual to have some mild bruising and tenderness at the needle puncture sites after the procedure.

If you have opted for sedation for the procedure, we require that you arrange for someone to drive you home. If you choose no sedation, then you will be able to drive home after a short period of observation after the procedure.

You will be able to return to work or full activity as soon as you feel up to it. Most patients return to normal activity within a day or two following their procedure.

Every patient and every condition is unique, therefore there are no guarantees of what results will be achieved or how quickly they may be observed. Many patients report feeling better within a couple days of the procedure, others report results in 1-3 months, however, it can take as long as 6-9 months for maximal results.

Many patients get relief after only one treatment. However, depending on the nature and severity of your condition, you may benefit from repeating or augmenting the treatment.

This depends on the exact procedure. Patients with disc pain in their low back had as much as 80% improvement in pain scores for as long as 2 years post injection in one study (International Orthopedics 40.1 (2016): 135-140.). Typically, we note that 70-80% of our patients see meaningful improvements with the procedure.

To date, there are no reports or any data to suggest that stem cell related injections promote the development of tumor growth.

No. This is one of the advantages of Stem Cell Therapy over amniotic or cord blood type stem cell injections. Because Stem Cell Therapy is made up exclusively of your own blood-related products, there is no risk of developing an immune response and rejecting the Stem Cell Therapy product.

No, because the stem cells are harvested from your own bone marrow, there are no ethical issues related to the Stem Cell Therapy product.

Yes. Adult stem cell therapies using bone marrow concentrate have a long history of safety. At SRMC, we hold ourselves to the highest standard to perform our procedures using best practices for safety and sterility.

Injecting a patient’s own PRP into damaged tissue is an effective, safe, and minimally invasive treatment option. By enhancing the body’s own natural healing abilities, patients are able to enjoy a faster and more thorough healing process that relieves symptoms, allowing them to return to their regular activities.

During the PRP procedure, initially, blood is drawn from an IV in your arm. This blood is first separated via centrifugation into the platelets, white blood cells, plasma and red blood cells. The platelets and plasma are then isolated and concentrated via centrifugation. The end product is a plasma with a high concentration of platelets. This solution is loaded into a sterile syringe, ready for injection. The PRP injection is performed the same day, as part of the same outpatient procedure. The whole process from blood draw to injection typically takes less than an hour to complete, sometimes more depending on the site of injection. During the injection procedure, either ultrasound or fluoroscopy will be utilized to visualize the site of injury and ensure that the solution is injected right at the target site.

PRP is derived from your blood, not bone marrow. Therefore, PRP does not contain stem cells, only the growth factors and platelets found in plasma.

Stem Cell Therapy includes bone marrow derived stem cells and higher concentrations of growth factors than conventional PRP.

Yes, PRP has minimal risk because the treatment utilizes your own blood platelets and plasma. This eliminates the risk that the injection will transmit disease or be rejected by your body.

We use PRP for a number of mild to moderate conditions involving the hips, legs, knees, arms, shoulders, and feet. To date, the only condition that is covered by insurance providers is lateral epicondylitis of the elbow.

PRP is recommended for patients with mild or moderate injuries, or those patients whose symptoms aren’t relieved by conservative treatments, such as rest, medication, and physical therapy. Our physicians will review your medical records to let you know if this procedure is right for you.