Special Announcement - Now Screening for FDA Approved Stem Cell Study
Dr. Mitchell Sheinkop has completed training and is credentialed for an FDA-approved stem cell clinical trial for knee arthritis. Our clinic is now screening patients for this trial. Contact us at 312-475-1893 for details. Click here to learn more.
Most Current Therapies for Osteoarthritis Only Address Symptoms

Most Current Therapies for Osteoarthritis Only Address Symptoms

We Treat the Causes

Limited treatment options for Osteoarthritis exist, and the current therapies are all palliative. They only address the symptoms but fail to address the root cause: cartilage damage from the activity of degradative enzymes (proteases) that destroy the arthritic joint. That’s why we use novel treatments to operate at the molecular level. Successful treatment must combat the degradative enzymes at a molecular level.

Standard Non-operative Treatment Options
  • Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs
  • Analgesics
  • Hyaluronic Acid Injections
  • Corticosteroid injections
  • Physical Therapy, Weight Reduction, Bracing
Unpredictable Outcomes
  • Temporary symptomatic relief
  • Treats the symptoms, not the cause
  • Many side effects

Hip Intervention for Osteoarthritis | Evidence-Based Care

By chance, while I was writing the Blog this morning, I turned on my computer and found this greeting on the five-year anniversary from a patient who had undergone a Bone Marrow Concentrate/Stem Cell/Growth Factor hip intervention for osteoarthritis.

“Have to say from year four to five no deterioration. In fact, maybe feeling a bit better.

– Still maintaining a daily self-initiated PT regime for leg strength. That soreness (uncomfortable) mostly right below the knee cap and back of pelvis seems to have dissipated.
– Finally developing a normal gait.”

I will let the facts speak for themselves:

The above record was executed by the patient; and thus, objective. It is our means, in part, of documenting outcomes on a continuing basis of the patients we treat; thus, allowing us to lead the Midwest in evidence-based regenerative medicine and Cellular Orthopedics using biologics and not a knife. Then, there is the topic over which I am continually queried, “how soon will I improve and how long will it last?”

When treating an arthritic joint with biologics, the partial improvement may be immediate, or maximum medical improvement may take months, perhaps years. If you want to avoid a knife for an orthopedic impairment, call (312) 475-1893 to schedule your consultation. You may continue reading more at my website: www.sheinkopmd.com.

Masterful Care of The Aging Athlete

I consider myself an aging athlete who still skis, cycles, dedicates five days a week to fitness, plans to soon plant a garden, and walks up a spring creek with a fly rod. When my arthritic hips and knees began to limit my recreational profile several years ago, I chose the regenerative medicine option rather than joint replacements. Having performed joint replacements for 37 years and studied the benefits and limitations of such, I elected to postpone, perhaps avoid major surgery with the inherent risks and limitations. First it was Platelet rich plasma, next came PRP with Growth factor Proteins; and next came stem cells. At the get go, I did not expect to regenerate cartilage; but I did hope to restore joint function, minimize pain, and maintain the highest possible activity potential. Even with Grade 4 osteoarthritis of my major joints, I can report that I skied for a week in Vail this past February as I did a year ago, recently spent three days wading though spring creeks in Southwestern Wisconsin with a fly rod in pursuit of trout, and cycled 30 miles last Saturday. I am not alone as my biking, skiing and cycling buddy with similar knee issues returned last week from his yearly helicopter skiing adventure. I have been managing his knee arthritic issues with regenerative medicine interventions for over five years.

Then there are the athletes in their 50s. Certainly, the option is there for a joint replacement for a grade three arthritic joint but what If? What if there is a complication, an adverse event, a failure to regain motion, or residual pain? The fall back potion after a failed joint replacement is another joint replacement and the outcomes of revision surgery are frequently not satisfactory. Several weeks ago, I described the recreational pursuits of a 58-year-old volleyball enthusiast who had initially considered a joint replacement when 15 years after an arthroscopic partial meniscectomy, the predictable post traumatic arthritis had forced him to suspend his activities. He chose a regenerative medicine stem cell option; and eight weeks thereafter, he is back to playing volleyball three times a week. While on occasion, a booster follow-up injection is needed; we are in the process of developing a manuscript for scientific publication focusing on the successful outcomes of 20 patients followed for one to two years after a combined injection of bone marrow concentrate containing stem cells into the knee and the bone adjacent to the knee. These are recreational athletes between ages 45 and 60 who won’t quit.

On May 4, I am one of three invited faculty to present at The Regenerative Medicine Training Institute (RMTI). On June 7 and 8, I have been asked to participate in the Workshop and Lab Faculty at the largest Regenerative Medicine program in North America (TOBI). Owing to our integration of patient care with scientific outcomes monitoring, we have been able and continue to provide masterful and evidence-based care to aging athletes. To continue to remain in the forefront of Regenerative Medicine, I dedicate a good deal of time reviewing the future while monitoring the outcomes of patient care. Several new treatment options are soon to be launched including expanding my scope of care to those with inflammatory arthritis.

To learn more, call for a consultation (312) 475-1893. You may visit my website: www.sheinkopmd.com

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Fake news and illegal advertising of stem cell therapies

Fake news and illegal advertising of stem cell therapies

Why Should This  Blog Matter To You?

  • Stem cell treatments are NOT FDA cleared in the United States
  • FDA is scrutinizing physicians and centers that are marketing stem cells

Beware of centers that are offering to:

  • Relieve pain
  • “Regeneration” of tissues
  •  Avoid surgery
  • Treating a variety of inflammatory, degenerative, or autoimmune conditions

Beware of Stem Cells Clinics!

  • Many of these “stem cell clinics” are operated by chiropractors or providers that do NOT have a specialty or advanced training in the musculoskeletal system.
  • They simply do not have the training necessary to perform these injections nor are they licensed to so do.
  • In some cases, surgery is needed. These providers may not evaluate the need for a surgical procedure.

Federal Trade Commission Press Release: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2018/10/ftc-stops-deceptive-health-claims-stem-cell-therapy-clinic

FTC Court Documents: https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/cases-proceedings/172-3062/regenerative-medical-group-inc

The Complaint filed by the FTC on October 12th states the following:

Defendant Henderson is aware that the vast majority of amniotic clinical studies in the scientific literature has been conducted on animal models. There are no human clinical studies in the scientific literature showing that amniotic stem cell therapy cures, treats, or mitigates diseases of health conditions in humans, and the medical community considers amniotic stem cell therapy to be an experimental and unproven treatment. (p. 4)

The representations set forth in Paragraph 21 […Defendants have represented…that their stem cell therapy: cures [everything]…Is comparable to or superior to conventional medical treatments in curing, mitigating, or treating specific diseases or health conditions including [everything]…] are false or were not substantiated at the time the representations were made. (p. 21)

The FTC essentially has said that there is no clinical basis to claim a therapeutic benefit to treating patients with amniotic stem cells, so the claims and representations by Dr. Henderson constitute deceptive practices and false advertisement.

If you connect the dots, it would suggest that Dr. Henderson engaged in fraud by taking money from patients and treating them with a preparation for which there is no clinically valid proof of therapeutic benefit. Regardless of whether the Department of Justice gets after him for a criminal complaint of fraud or not, I think organizations that offer up a worthless therapy consisting of amniotic stem cells (until proven otherwise with Level 1 studies) could be good targets for class action lawsuits by defrauded patients. The same situation doesn’t apply to PRP and BMC, (what I do) since there is plenty of clinical evidence of therapeutic benefit including my scientific article published in December, 2018.

Sheinkop, et.al Transnational Medicine – published Dec. 13 2018
A specific protocol of autologous bone marrow concentrate and platelet products versus exercise therapy for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis; a randomized control trial with 2 year follow-up.

If you want to complain to the FDA about having received Amniotic Fluid without benefit, use this link:

https://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/AdvertisingLabelingPromotionalMaterials/ucm118859.htm

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The Right Cellular Orthopedic Procedure for You

The truth about reparative medicine in orthopaedics and why it matters to you is that in the USA, millions of people suffer from orthopedic conditions and are looking for options to major surgery. At the same time, there is a segment of the population that can’t safely undergo a major joint replacement procedure. Then there are those who are highly active and are looking to keep up with their sporting activities and an unlimited life style. The older generation is living longer and very active. The younger generation is also participating in sports and playing for a longer period. The wear and tear in joints cause pain and ultimately may cause or aggravate an arthritic process. There is an option to surgery and a means of postponing, perhaps avoiding a Total Joint Replacement. While Cellular Orthopaedics (Regenerative Medicine), offers a reparative technology, it is important to recognize that all therapies in the marketplace are not equal. There are many different types of tissues: fat, bone marrow, amniotic fluid, placental tissue, cord blood, Wharton’s Jelly, and circulating blood marketed for intervention but only concentrate from your own bone marrow, concentrate and filtered platelet product from your own blood, and now micro-fractured fat from your own adipose tissue meet FDA compliance requirements.

Over the past ten years, advances in reparative medicine have resulted from science and research behind the different options. You may read about my role at www.sheinkopmd.com/published-research-articles/ to learn more. I was one of the first orthopaedic surgeons to study the effects of Micro-fractured Fat (Lipogems) in patients with Grade 4 Osteoarthritis of the knee who were en route to a Total Knee Replacement. Now that the FDA has granted clearance, many physicians are showing up with claims of offering adipose stem cells. While fat has reparative qualities and can help promote a healing environment, it is not a resource for cartilage regeneration.

As always though in the current health marketing environment, a patient must guard against misrepresentation of product, effect and outcomes. The article I published in November of 2018, is the only scholarly article of which I am aware that has true clinical adipose outcomes data. https://www.amjorthopedics.com/article/safety-and-efficacy-percutaneous-injection-lipogems-micro-fractured-adipose-tissue. Those clinics offering a type of fat technology that is processed using enzymes and manipulates the cells are doing so by failing to abide by FDA Guidance. Additionally, some providers are offering “Stem Cell Treatments” at very high costs and thus mislead the public along with the parasites, camp followers and charlatans promoting amniotic fluid, cord blood and Wharton’s jelly. Our goal is to provide the right treatment options for a patient with solutions that have strong scientific evidence behind the technology and are cleared by the FDA. I am happy to be a leader in the Evidence Based initiative.

To schedule a consultation call (312) 475-1893          You may visit my web site at www.sheinkopmd.com

 

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Cellular Orthopedics: How long will it take to enjoy the benefits?

How long will the benefits last?

Yesterday, an individual presented in the office on a professional matter for a scheduled business meeting and during our discussions, related that he had undergone right hip arthroscopy, eight weeks earlier. He had an antalgic (painful) gait while walking into the meeting room so I discussed the rationale for undergoing a Platelet Rich Plasma concentrate/Growth Factor Concentrate intervention when he returned to his home base. The individual elected to become my patient on the spot so I performed a physical assessment and noted asymmetrical hip motion with limitation on the right side. His pre-arthroscopic diagnosis was a torn acetabular labrum. In 45 minutes, my team had drawn his blood and prepared the concentrated injectate followed by my completing an ultrasound guided intraarticular right hip injection. Within five minutes, his inability to fully spread his legs, flex and extend his hip, and tolerate internal and external rotation had been corrected. This is not an infrequent observation following a Cellular Orthopedic intervention to the hip; yet I have no explanation for the immediate pain relief and return of joint function. He left the office with almost no discernable limp.

This past Monday, the office received this communication from a patient who began treatment with Bone Marrow Concentrate to her knees about four years ago; returning on several occasions until she reached maximum medial improvement at 18 months post intervention.

“I wanted to write to you and Dr Sheinkop to congratulate you on the published study in the Journal of Translational Medicine in which I was a participant. It is really satisfying to see that results finally in print.  I want to thank you both for allowing me to participate, even though I was outside of the Chicago area. 

Just to follow up, my knees have been doing really well for the past year. I enjoyed a long summer of bicycling, including regular 20-30 mile rides as well as a 40 and 50-mile ride, without significant pain. I also have been able to use the elliptical pain free and just in the past two weeks I started running on the treadmill (alternating one minute of running & walking for about 20-25 minutes on a 4% incline). I’m starting really slow -but I never thought I would be able to run relatively pain-free again”.

There is no way of predicting how soon and for how long a cellular orthopedic intervention will have an effect. Our ongoing outcomes observations for over six years may eventually help answer the question; but in the meantime, we ask our patients to return periodically so we may learn from them and intervene if needed.

To learn how you may benefit from a Cellular Orthopedic intervention schedule a consultation by calling (847)-390-7666.  My web site is at www.sheinkopmd.com.

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Osteoarthritis of the hip

Osteoarthritis of the hip

Hip osteoarthritis (OA) exerts a significant burden on society, affecting 3% of Americans aged >30 years. Recent advances in the understanding of the pathoanatomy and pathomechanics of the hip have led to treatment options for young adults with hip pain. Femoroacetabular impingement, specifically cam-type femoroacetabular impingement, hip dysplasia, and the sequelae of pediatric hip disease can predispose the hip to early OA. However, many patients with abnormal anatomic findings do not develop early OA, suggesting that there exist other patient characteristics that are protective despite abnormal bony anatomy. Outcome studies show that arthroscopic and open hip procedures improve pain and function in patients with symptomatic hips. However, there is currently limited evidence that these procedures extend the life of the patient’s natural hip. Additional studies are needed to determine protective or adaptive factors in patients with abnormal anatomy who do not develop early OA and to determine whether joint preserving hip surgery extends the life of the native hip joint.

Review Article:Natural History of Structural Hip Abnormalities and the Potential for Hip Preservation
James D. Wylie, Christopher L. Peters, Stephen Kenji Aoki

What makes the article so interesting to me is first, I played a role in training one of the authors in my earlier academic career. More important is the role I am now playing in helping to preserve the life of the hip joint with a needle instead of a knife and extending the life of the “native hip joint”. The latter is done via Cellular Orthopedics. By introducing Stem Cells, Platelets, Precursor Cells, and Growth Factors, I am now able to address arthritis at a Bio-Immune level, possibly regenerate cartilage, potentially influence healing of the torn acetabular labrum, certainly reverse the secondary inflammation and thereby diminish pain and improve function in the abnormal hip joint.

It takes an evaluation in my office including the history, a physical examination and my review of your hip images after which I am able to customize the Cellular Orthopedic intervention that will help with joint preservation and potentially, joint regeneration. Our Outcomes studies continue and it is the result of ongoing data collection that allows me to extend the life of your native hip. Call (312) 475 1893 to schedule a consultation. You may visit my web site at www.sheinkopmd.com

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