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.

The foot bone’s connected to the ankle bone

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

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News from the International Orthopedics Foundation Annual Meeting

News from the International Orthopedics Foundation Annual Meeting

I am sitting at my computer this morning writing the weekly Blog posting and not attending the IOF meeting taking place today in Broomfield, Colorado; yet I am reporting about the meeting. Instead of attending, I am preparing for a week-long ski adventure with my family next week in Vail, Colorado while trying to catch up in my practice. How is it than possible that I know what is taking place at the meeting? Listed below are five of the 10 ongoing or completed cellular orthopedic clinical trials in which I am a principal investigator or co-researcher. The preliminary and final data resulting from these clinical research initiatives is the outcomes foundation for what is being presented at the IOF podium today and tomorrow.

1) Stem Cell Counts and the Outcome of Bone Marrow Concentrate intra-articular and intra-osseous (subchondroplasty) interventions at the knee for grades 2 and 3 OA. (supported in part by Celling). Ongoing

2) Outcomes of Bone Marrow Concentrate (stem cell, platelet and growth factor) Intervention at the Knee for Grades 2 and 3 OA in 50 patients at 2 to 4 years. (supported in part by Regenexx)

3) Outcomes of Intra-articular Bone Marrow Concentrate versus those of combined Intraarticular and Intraosseous interventions for grades 2 and 3 OA at the knee at one year. (self-funded). Ongoing

4) How does the PRP and Mononucleated cell count affect the outcome of a BMC intervention for grades 2 and 3 Knee OA? (a joint project with Greyledge) Ongoing

5) Safety and Efficacy of Percutaneous Injection of Micro-Fractured Adipose Tissue for grade 4 Osteoarthritic Knees, minimum follow-up of 18 months in 30 patients (supported in part by Lipogems)

I had to prioritize; and since most of the arthritis data being presented is all or in part mine, I already know the subject matter. By staying home, I also found the opportunity to browse “stem cell” websites as suggested by ads in today’s newspapers or introduced by email blasts this week.  Wow, a patient acting more like a consumer is really at risk for succumbing to Regenerative Medicine “false news”.

If you want to learn more about the difference between the stem cell purveyors and a legitimate, FDA compliant, evidence based, cellular orthopedics initiative, call to schedule a consultation or to get a second opinion.

You may schedule a visit at (312) 475-1893

You may access my website and watch a webinar at   www.ilcellulartherapy.com

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Consumer Reports Report on Stem Cell Therapy

The March 2018, edition of Consumer Reports includes an article written by Jenseen Interlandi that is worth the read for both what it does say and the questions it raises. I welcome the critical review of Stem Cell Therapy whenever an article appears because I too am critical of the charlatans, camp followers and those fleecing the public. In the Interlandi article, the reader immediately finds one such example of a so-called Institute in Tampa, Florida victimizing those with chronic pulmonary diseases; but you don’t have to travel to Florida to find such practices as were reported on by Fox 32’s Sylvia Perez in her investigation featured Monday, January 29. If you missed it, all you need to do is click on the hi lighted below:

http://www.fox32chicago.com/health/customers-warn-doctors-are-scamming-patients-with-fake-stem-cell-claims

Equally egregious are the in your face, regularly appearing ads in our newspapers for stem cell treatment via amniotic fluid. If there were viable stem cells in amniotic fluid, the non-autologous (yours to you) nature of said treatment is contrary to FDA compliance. On the other hand, repeated microscopic studies confirm that no viable stem cells are to be found in amniotic fluid once recovered by amniocentesis, sterilization, processing, freezing and eventually fast thawing for injection.

I will attempt to respond to the “Climate of Confusion” critique found as a headline inside the article. Rather than repeat the lengthy text, I assume I have piqued your curiosity and you will buy the periodical and read.  While it is true that I use patient testimonials to promote my interventions, what I do in my practice is indeed based on an increasing data base of clinical outcomes.  We practice evidence based cellular orthopedics as a result of  the largest and longest running outcomes documentation data base in regenerative medicine. On February 15, at the Interventional Orthopedics Foundation annual meeting taking place outside of Boulder, Colorado, my colleague David Karli will report on my outcomes at one year using a combined intra-articular (into the joint) and intra-osseous (into the bone adjacent to the joint) at one year and comparing the outcomes to those documented at one year following intra-articular injection alone. Patients who received the combined intervention reported an 89% average diminution of pain at one year as compared to a 40% decrease in those who underwent intra-articular Bone Marrow Concentrate intervention alone. This is one example of what may be gleaned from a data base.

In conclusion, the obvious question becomes, “How to Protect Yourself” from unscrupulous stem cell therapy? My response, call and schedule an appointment or view my website and webinar:

312-475-1893

www.Ilcellulartherapy.com

I will answer your questions, avoid hype and review the fine print with you.

FDA Compliant Therapies

For those who may have missed it, I was featured Monday night in a Fox 32 news report presented by Fox News investigative reporter Sylvia Perez.

http://www.fox32chicago.com/health/customers-warn-that-doctors-are-scamming-patients-with-fake-stem-cell-claims

Regular readers of my Blog are aware of the opinions I have frequently expressed regarding the charlatans and camp followers that have taken advantage of the regenerative medicine marketplace promising to cure arthritis, Alzheimer’s, Alopecia, ALS, Autism, and every malady known to mankind finally ending at the letter Z. They don’t exclude spinal cord injury, residuals of stroke nor ED while they are at it. The message regarding what stem cells can do is found in newspaper ads, television commercials and radio spots, the latter in the Chicago listening area by a well-known sports announcer. Either attend a seminar or make an appointment for treatment; they will cure your disease, eliminate pain and do away with your suffering. “Call now to schedule an appointment”.

For a free lunch and without an evaluation or examination, you can undergo an amniotic fluid intervention that is “regenerative” as it is claimed, at a cost in the neighborhood of $5,000. I have been involved in amniotic fluid clinical trials for four years underwritten by the largest provider of amniotic fluid in the nation; and our first statement to participants in these clinical trials, without charge for the injectate, is that there are no living stem cells in the amniotic fluid once processed, sterilized, frozen and fast thawed for usage. Hold on, there is more. On September 16, 2017 the FDA published mandatory guidelines: any and all regenerative agents must be autologous and homologous. In plain speak the injectate must come from the same patient and be used as nature intended. Stem cells from donor sources are not compliant.

Featured in the Fox News special report are two patients. One had undergone a complete medical history, physical examination and skeletomuscular evaluation prior to his Cellular Orthopedic intervention enjoying a marvelous outcome; the other, an amniotic fluid injection into his knee without any prior evaluation or preparation and an awful end result. You may watch the actual report by clicking on that underscored above.

One of the standard of practice methodologies in which we take great pride and which I believe separates us from the madding crowd of regenerative medicine camp followers and charlatans; is our evidence based cellular orthopedic approach.  In preparation for a scientific podium presentation in two weeks, we are collating our outcomes data at one year for patients who underwent a combined intraarticular (into the knee) and intraosseous (into the subchondral bone) autologous bone marrow and growth factor intervention for osteoarthritis grades two and three. At six weeks, we recorded a 22% improvement in pain relief; 42% at six months, and 89% at 12 months. In future blogs, I will breakdown the outcomes data further and expand on our documented outcomes based on our several cellular orthopedic options.

To learn more, you may review my web site and watch my webinar at www.ILcellulartherapy.com

You may schedule a consultation by calling (312) 475-1893

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Combining Bone Marrow Concentrate into the joint with Subchondroplasty

Combining Bone Marrow Concentrate into the joint with Subchondroplasty

We now are approaching five-year outcomes regarding the use of Bone Marrow Concentrate for Osteoarthritis of the hip, knee, shoulder and ankle. Bone Marrow contains Adult Mesenchymal Stem (MSC) cells and Growth Factors. In the beginning, the entire informed consent process focused on the MSC in bone marrow as the agent responsible for diminishing pain, improving motion, stopping, at times reversing the progression of osteoarthritis, and potentially regenerating the joint itself. Now we know that equally important to the MSC are the growth factors produced and stored in the bone marrow. Some of the key proteins (Growth factors) include Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Protein (IRAP), Alpha-2-Macroglobulin (A2M), fibrinogen, PDGF, VEGF, and TGF-B to name a few.

The reason we directed our clinical initiatives to Bone Marrow Concentrate is that while Amniotic Fluid contains Hyaluronic Acid, once harvested, sterilized and fast thawed for clinical application, there are no living stem cells left, so Amniotic Fluid Concentrate has no regenerative potential. When it comes to Adipose Derived Stem Cells, in order to liberate the stem cell from the adipocyte, an enzyme, collagenase must be employed. The latter is not approved by the FDA. Additionally, there is no evidence of Growth Factor content in adipose derived tissue.

While I have blogged about the superiority of Bone Marrow Concentrate over all other non-surgical approaches for arthritis, the introduction of the intraosseous adjunct, subchondroplasty, is resulting in even superior outcomes when compared to those who were treated prior to this contemporary version of Cellular Orthopedics. It has been nine months basically since I started injecting Bone Marrow Concentrate into the marrow adjacent to the joint in addition to the intraarticular approach. We already are seeing a better outcome in those who availed themselves of the Intraosseous adjunct. Up until eight weeks ago, my ability to offer contemporary and improved treatment options was limited by preexisting contractual obligations; but now unrestricted, I have expanded my scope of offerings including elevation of subchondroplasty from a clinical trial status to usual and customary adjunct standard of practice option. As well, I now offer an increased opportunity for participation in other clinical trials for the arthritic joint when a patient meets obligatory inclusion criteria determined by the trial sponsor.

If you want to postpone, perhaps avoid a major surgical replacement for an arthritic joint, call for a consultation    847 390 7666

You may visit my web site at IlCellulartherapy.com where you may watch my webinar.

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Combining Bone Marrow Concentrate into the joint with Subchondroplasty

Postpone, perhaps avoid joint replacements

Last week, we traveled to Israel to celebrate the wedding of our youngest son. Israel became the destination for the event as Eric and Judith had met there while his music business was subcontracting to Coke and Judith led the International Marketing initiatives for Coke. The event took place on July 5th, at an organic farm in the outskirts of Jerusalem. In such a majestic and historical setting prior to and after the ceremony, there took place several organized tours including one of Jerusalem, another at the Dead Sea and for several, a trip to Petra. It was a relatively small group of the attendees; one in particular, a very close and long-time friend has been the subject of my Blog in years past as I described his return to skiing, biking and fly fishing following a Bone Marrow Concentrate/Growth Factor Concentrate/Stem Cell concentrate intervention. Prior to those procedures, he had been forced to give up his athletic passions for several years because of the limitations imposed by arthritis of both knees.

Above is his activity score from Monday, July 3, when Bob and his wife toured Jerusalem’s Old City including a hike on the ramparts of the wall surrounding the Christian Quarter, the stop and prayer at the Temple Mount and a shopping spree at the Arab Suk (bazaar).

What Bob represents is the potential for continued improvement over several years following a regenerative intervention, a process of which I am continually reminded as time passes and I have a longer follow up of my patients. Our mission and ethos is to help patients with arthritic joints enjoy an active life style and postpone, perhaps avoid joint replacements when arthritic impairment ensues. The documentation from the patient above is one of improving outcome as time passes. While his is an anecdote, our data base increasingly reflects similar happenings for the majority of our patients.

There are now many providers for those with arthritic impairment seeking improved function and less symptoms; and who are not candidates for a joint replacement or who do not want to undergo the major surgical undertaking. In your choice of an Interventional Cellular specialist, inquire about her or his long-term outcomes; not just “will I get a free lunch if I attend a seminar?”

To learn more, call for a consultation 847 390 7666

You may watch my webinar and learn more by visiting my website at Ilcellulartherapy.com  

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