Sep 29, 2014
In seeking to continually improve results of Bone Marrow Concentrate Stem Cell interventions, we review our data base to try and better understand how to improve the success of a stem cell procedure both from the standpoint of pain control and the length of success. When it comes to the knee, I have looked at age and that isn’t as significant in anticipating a successful outcome as I had previously anticipated. Next it was the weight issue and Body Max Index but that hasn’t proved to have as significant an adverse influence on outcomes as I once had predicted although it does have a relation to the difficulty of the harvest. . There is no question that certain prescription medications have a very negative effect on stem cell performance; so much so that dependency on certain pharmaceuticals has caused me to seek an alternative approach to Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate. The pre-treatment range of knee motion is as reliable predictor of the outcome as is knee stability. If a patient has an unstable knee or less than 110 degrees of motion, the chances of stem cell success are problematic.
What influenced me to write this Blog is the correlation I am seeing between knee deformity and the degree of success and the length of success If a patient has a mechanical bowing of five to seven degrees or more or a knock knee over seven degrees, the results of stem cell intervention are less predictable and carry with a shorter length of success than might otherwise be the outcome. Knowing that your knee which still allows you to be active is worth saving in spite of the X-ray, will provide a higher certainty of maintaining an active functional capacity than a knee replacement affords; the stem cell route before considering a joint replacement is one worth serious consideration. In order to improve candidacy and long term success, I am now recommending correction of mechanical deformity via a procedure termed an osteotomy in conjunction with the stem cell intervention. The concept of correcting a mechanical knee axis for arthritis has over 50 years of history. With the advent of knee replacement, osteotomy alone fell out of favor; but with the short term success of stem cell intervention in avoiding or postponing the joint replacement while maintaining or returning an individual to a very active profile, mechanical axis correction makes a lot of sense. My initial goal when I undertook this Cellular Orthopedic initiative was to assist in postponing a joint replacement; now I seek to influence avoidance of a joint replacement
Tags: arthritis, Clinical Trial. Mitchell B. Sheinkop, Concentrated Stem Cell Plasma, Interventional Orthopedics, joint replacement, Knee Pain Relief, stem cells, treatment
Sep 22, 2014
As the impact of Biologics on society and the economy increases-just ask Steve Forbes-so too must the patient guard against charlatans, fraud and medical abuse. Musculoskeletal injury is the most common cause for emergency room visits worldwide, resulting in millions of hours of lost work and at a cost of billions of dollars each year. Orthopedic surgeons and physicians have traditionally relied upon metal prostheses, plastic implants, and synthetic fluid injections to repair and replace torn tissue and to ease the pain of arthritis. There continues to be tremendously exciting progress using stem cells and biologic agents to treat tissue damage. These treatment options help ease pain, suffering and allow optimal rehabilitation of the injured and arthritic patient without surgery. How is a patient with musculoskeletal injury or limited by arthritis able to choose the right physician in this ever-changing landscape of Regenerative Medicine and Cellular Orthopedics?
Let’s start with Regenexx and the ongoing research as well as scientific publications informing the patient as well as other physicians about the Outcomes of Regenerative Medicine interventions. Just navigate the Regenexx.com web site to see how they are the leader in data collection and outcomes surveillance with an ever increasing Data Base and experience. Then there are the Linked-In exchanges with Regenexx in which I participate ever increasing my knowledge base and assuring that my procedures remain at the forefront of this rapidly expanding specialty of medicine. As many readers of this Blog are aware, I maintain a very active data collection program allowing me to continually monitor the outcomes of my Cellular Orthopedic activities. The truth be told, we are in the forefront.
Last Thursday, I received recognition form the Board of Trustees of Rush University Medical Center for my years of “faithful and dedicated service as a member of the of the Medical Staff.” My academic rank is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. While the recognition was for services rendered as a joint replacement surgeon, today my mission is to help a patient postpone or possible avoid a new hip or knee through Stem Cell intervention.
Tags: arthritis, athletes, Bone Marrow Concentrate, Clinical Trial. Mitchell B. Sheinkop, Interventional Orthopedics, joint replacement, Knee, Mature Athlete, Osteoarthritis, Regenerative, Regenexx, stem cells
Sep 15, 2014
Well, there we were again over the Labor Day three day weekend, cycling up the elevations and over the roads of Southwest Wisconsin. In between, I was able to spend several hours wading in several of my favorite creeks that meander through the Driftless Area. As far as the fly fishing was concerned, it was with a hopper and dropper but I met with little success as I fished during the heat of the day. When it came to cycling though, that was very successful as on three consecutive days, my wife joined me after her cycling sabbatical of 15 years. Our group went out on long rides and two of the wives, mine included, joined us for part of the venture. Why this all becomes important is that two years ago, I was experiencing a major problem with my left knee. The symptoms, arthritis related, had caused me to stop running, decrease my cycling mileage, and alter my skiing agenda. One day, I decided it was time and I underwent a Cellular Orthopedic intervention in my left knee. It was either that or change my entire recreational agenda and limit myself to swimming.
I am happy to report that the musculoskeletal care via Cellular Orthopedics for this Mature Athlete worked and here I am, living a totally unrestricted life. My winter ski trips to the west are being planned so as not to interrupt my work schedule this winter. The absence of knee pain allows me to look forward to another long weekend in pursuit of the 20 inch Brown Trout before the end of the season in Wisconsin..Two years ago, I wasn’t sure if there would be any more skiing in my life or wading up the spring creeks because of the arthritic knee. Sure, I could always fish from a drift boat but it isn’t the same and the Wisconsin spring creeks are for wading, not drifting while seated in a boat.
OK, you get the message; the role of Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate derived Stem cells in Musculoskeletal Care of the Mature Athlete. Now if you will excuse me, I am off to the fitness center to stretch, run and row; all made possible by that Cellular Orthopedic Intervention, two years ago.
Tags: arthritis, athletes, Clinical Trial. Mitchell B. Sheinkop, Concentrated Stem Cell Plasma, Knee, Mature Athlete, Osteoarthritis, Regenexx-SD, stem cells, treatment
Sep 11, 2014
From time to time, I feel it my responsibility to call the readers’ attention to the writings of others because of the constantly changing knowledge concerning Musculoskeletal Care of the Aging Athlete. The September issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, featured a Review Article from the Department of Orthopaedics, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University: The Effects of Fitness on the Aging Process. The last sentence in the abstract states “A large segment of older sedentary adults will benefit from counseling that encourages the pursuit of more active and healthier lifestyles”; and that’s why I am writing this Blog
Decades of research support the fact that much age-related deterioration is the result of the effects of sedentary lifestyles and the resultant medical conditions rather than aging itself. A continually growing body of scientific and clinical evidence demonstrates how active persons modulate physical decline through training. There is a well recognized age related decline in the musculoskeletal system as bone looses density, the strength and flexibility of muscle decreases, ligaments and tendons stiffen up, and the structure of cartilage degenerates. At the same time, the aging process is accompanied by obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and other leading causes of infirmity and death.
Earlier this week, I spoke with a patient whose family I have taken care or for over 35 years including having performed hip replacement surgery on her husband some years ago. Her chief complaint had to do with her knee discomfort that was increasingly limiting her fitness and recreational profile as well as her activities of daily living. I had requested that she complete imaging and I was following up with my recommendation. Her principle concern had to do with accelerated aging if she did not maintain her fitness regime.
In summary, a growing body of scientific evidence supports how active adults modulate age-related decline in various areas of the musculoskeletal system. Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells may help intervene in a chronic and progressively limiting arthritic process or hasten the healing in an acute injury. For those who have tried MSCs once and not enjoyed the sought after outcome, come on back and let’s do it again. This time though with a full commitment to modifying the aging process though stem cell intervention and the pursuit of fitness.
Tags: arthritis, athletes, Bone Marrow Concentrate, Clinical Trial. Mitchell B. Sheinkop, Interventional Orthopedics, Mature Athlete, Orthopedic Care, Osteoarthritis, Regenerative, stem cells
Aug 11, 2014
Last Thursday, I presented my Data on our minimum 12 month Outcomes regarding Marrow Aspirate Concentrate derived Stem Cells for Osteoarthritis of the knee to the Regenexx 3rd Annual Conference. It was held at the Scientific and Research Institute in Thornton, Colorado. The baseline number included 118 patients. While I presented the customary orthopedic objective data on the patient cohort such as point scores, Range of motion, patient satisfaction, psychological profiles and pain scores, I introduced two new Scoring parameters: 1) Activity Scores and 2) Comparison to Knee Replacement Outcomes.
Activity Scores are increasingly recognized as an objective outcome measurement documenting results without superimposed psychological disability, sociological factors, and serves as a quantitative measure of how much rather than how well. We measured impact sports breaking them down into very active categories, active, moderate and mild categories. In each category, the patients who had undergone stem cell intervention scored very well in either returning to a prior level of activity recently abandoned or actually advancing to a higher category of activity. As an example, I saw a patient last week six weeks past stem cell intervention for osteoarthritis of the knee. He had presented for treatment when his ability to walk was less than a city block. He marched in six weeks post treatment without a smile indicating that he was dissatisfied, as he still needed to use a handrail for stairs. When I asked him how he got to the office for the six-week follow-up, he responded that he had walked from home. I then inquired how far? His response ” 3 and 1/2 miles”.
In comparing knee replacement outcomes to stem cell interventions, the mean functional score for patients who had received Total Knee Prosthesis at a minimum of one year was 67. In comparison, the functional score for BMAC Stem Cell interventions was 90.5. While it may be that the stem cell population was not exactly comparable to those who had received a Total Knee Replacement, you decide, knee replacement or try stem cells first.
Tags: arthritis, arthritis treatment, athletes, Bone Marrow Concentrate, Clinical Trial. Mitchell B. Sheinkop, Hip Replacement, Interventional Orthopedics, Mature Athlete, Orthopedic Surgeon, Osteoarthritis, Regenexx-SD, stem cells
