Apr 20, 2017
My clinical practice mission is to use autologous concentrated marrow-derived mononuclear cells for the care and treatment of a joint afflicted by degenerative arthritis so as to assist a patient in postponing, perhaps avoiding a joint replacement. I then follow the patient using osteoarthritis outcome scores to measure pain control, activity improvement, and quality of life impact. The knee society score, an orthopedic surgeon’s vehicle, (KSS) also demonstrates a significant improvement of on the symptoms subscale and function subscale in most patients who undergo a Bone Marrow Concentrate procedure in my office. What about Stem Cells? Please note at the end of the first sentence and the beginning of the second, my emphasis on autologous concentrated marrow-derived mononuclear cells; not “Stem Cells”. That bone marrow concentrate is made up of Platelets, Growth Factors, and Mononucleated cells. It has been estimated that somewhere between .0017% and .034% of the mononucleated cells are actually adult mesenchymal stem cells. My point is that when you see the ads for stem cells on the many web sites, in the print media and now on outdoor advertising signs as the one I noticed on Clinton and Monroe in Chicago this past Monday, you may fall victim to marketing and not science. Chiropractors, non-board certified physicians, family practitioners and the entire realm of camp followers have embraced the exploding discipline of Regenerative Medicine. Patient beware as I point out in the next paragraph using a recently published study from the Mayo Clinic.
Many patients come to Mayo Clinic for a second opinion or diagnosis confirmation before treatment for a complex condition. In a new study, Mayo Clinic reports that as many as 88 percent of those patients go home with a new or refined diagnosis – changing their care plan and potentially their lives. Conversely, only 12 percent receive confirmation that the original diagnosis was complete and correct. Given what I have seen evolving in the field of Regenerative Medicine, I am not surprised. Few practices offering “Stem Cells” have any idea what is involved and what is in the bone marrow concentrate. Many mislead the public with a stem cell presentation using amniotic fluid product wherein it has repeatedly demonstrated there is an absence of stem cells in amniotic fluid once processed, frozen and fast thawed. What about adipose derived stem cells? For one, to liberate the stem cell from the adipocyte, there has to be a cycle of enzymatic degradation. The latter violates FDA requirements. What about platelets and growth factors in adipose derived materials? Given the relative absence of blood supply in fat, I have yet to find a scientific publication suggesting there are growth factors in adipose tissue.
The cover story in the April 2017 AARP.ORG/Bulletin is titled “How to Stop Fraud, The Ultimate Guide to Protect Yourself from Scammers and Crooks” While not directed to Regenerative Medicine, the warning applies. As suggested by the Mayo Clinic referenced article above, the best protection is a second opinion.
To schedule call: 312 475-1893
You may visit my web site at www.SheinkopMD.com
Or watch my webinar at www.ilcellulartherapy.com
Tags: Benefits and Risk, Bone Marrow Concentrate, Orthopedic Surgeon, Regenerative, regenerative medicine, Regenexx-SD, stem cell treatment
Apr 7, 2017
I have purposely used the terms interventional orthopedics and cellular orthopedics when referring to regenerative medicine to remind my reader that I am an orthopedic surgeon. Later in life, I graduated into my present role as a clinician seeking to assist a patient in postponing, at times avoiding a major surgical procedure for an arthritic or otherwise compromised joint. You will note that I limit my discussion and topic matter to the musculoskeletal system and, do not allow vanity or greed to suggest that I am willing to expand my scope of care directed to conditions and diseases for which I am willing to provide treatment. In my 37-year commitment to reconstructive orthopedics and joint replacement surgery, I did not increase my scope of services outside the musculoskeletal system and I won’t consider anything more in my regenerative medicine undertakings, today.
To take things a bit further, when it comes to cartilage damage in any joint and from any causation, there are three categories of care: Palliative, Reparative and Restorative. In the first category, palliative, I do offer anti-inflammatory prescription, cortisone injection and hyaluronic intervention. At times, for those who meet inclusion criteria, I even enroll patients in an amniotic fluid clinical trial for pain management when deemed appropriate knowing there is no regenerative or even reparative potential therein. Reparative may take place during a Bone Marrow Concentrate procedure; but my goal is Restorative (Regeneration). The only FDA complaint method for delivering stem cells to an arthritic joint is the use of your aspirated and then concentrated bone marrow from your pelvis. In spite of the misleading and false news to be found on the various web sites, in order for stem cells to be separated from fat, an enzymatic digestion must take place and that manipulation renders adipose derived stem cell usage contrary to FDA mandates. Furthermore, there is no published scientific literature demonstrating adipose derived stem cells are of value in the care and treatment of an arthritic or otherwise altered joint function.
When you decide to seek out a provider of regenerative services, a very important part of the decision- making process should be to question that provider as to whether services are limited to the musculoskeletal system and what outcomes and data of that particular practice experiences? I have noted recently that my data and outcomes are being posted on web sites around the country as if the results were being achieved in settings other than mine.
If you want to learn more about postponing or perhaps even avoiding surgery for a joint that alters your quality of life, call 312-475-1893.
To learn more, check out my web site at www.Sheinkopmd.com
View my webinar at www.ilcellulartherapy.com
Tags: arthritis, Bone Marrow Concentrate, Clinical Trial. Mitchell B. Sheinkop, Concentrated Stem Cell Plasma, Interventional Orthopedics, joint pain, joint replacement, Knee, knee pain, regenerative medicine, stem cells
Mar 27, 2017
I am an orthopedic surgeon. The new focus for the arthritic joint is restoration and not replacement. Almost five years ago, I joined that emerging initiative after a 37-year professional career of having replaced joints. One of the recent problems emerging in this discipline of regenerative medicine is that marketing is inaccurate. There is no quick fix be it a replacement or an interventional orthopedic procedure. What stem cells do not risk is a joint replacement failure requiring a repeat procedure (revision), a significant occurrence of infection, a blood clot or a nerve injury. As a surgeon, I replaced arthritic joints because the original cartilage had degenerated and the bone surfaces degraded. My effort now is to restore and not replace. This is an evolving field using stem cells derived from bone marrow, using inflammatory blockers, and growth factors.
Finding a good interventional cellular orthopedist is partly a numbers game. Research shows a regenerative specialist must do a minimum of 50 interventions a year to provide a consistently satisfactory end result. Five years ago, the orthopedic surgical community including my past associates were all nay-sayers. Today, they are embracing that which I pioneered. While there are of this time, no true standards and regulatory bodies outside the FDA, in my office, I have pioneered a standardization initiative via qualitative analysis of that which we aspirate and then inject. The meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons in San Diego ending last week dedicated a relatively large part of the educational and scientific agenda to regenerative medicine and interventional orthopedics. All this being said, the patient seeking out one of America’s fastest growing procedures must assure the provider is experienced, knowledgeable and be prepared to meet a patient’s expectations. The explosive growth of those holding themselves out to be capable of delivery an excellent or at least a good regenerative outcome is not supported by evidence or experience. To repeat what I indicated above, all doctors are not the same. If you want the evidence, make an appointment. If you want a procedure by those who market themselves as treating Alzheimer’s, Alopecia, facial wrinkles, Arthritis, so on and so forth all under the same roof, I am not the that clinician.
To learn more, check out my web site at www.Sheinkopmd.com
View my webinar at www.ilcellulartherapy.com
Or call for an appointment 847 390 7666
Tags: arthritis, bone marrow, Clinical Trial. Mitchell B. Sheinkop, Concentrated Stem Cell Plasma, Interventional Orthopedics, Mesenchymal Stem Cell, Regenerative, regenerative medicine, stem cell treatment
Mar 16, 2017
As most readers of this Blog already know, for more than 37 years, I was a reconstructive joint replacement surgeon at a major Chicago medical center, where I served as the director of the joint replacement program. I retired as emeritus professor seven years ago; after having pioneered the integration of a clinical practice with joint replacement research and education. While I had completed over 20,000 hip and knee replacements during my career and played a major role in authoring over 85 major orthopedic publications, one of the highlights of my career was the recognition by the resident staff of awarding me the teacher of the year award in orthopedic surgery. At the same time, I had the opportunity to share my joint replacement knowledge around the world. I addition, many orthopedic surgeons from across the globe would come to observe and learn my techniques. One such group came from Norway. What I learned from them during their visit was that no procedure would be allowed within the scope of the government health care system for which there wasn’t a ten-year outcome data base. Their health care system wouldn’t pay for that which didn’t have a track record and for which there wasn’t safety and efficacy studies.
I am continually amazed at the epidemic of web sites promising regenerative medicine treatments for which there is no data of success and for which there are no safety and efficacy studies. This false news seems to be an increasingly common phenomenon; more bothersome though are anecdotal outcomes cited in media placements without a scientific foundation. Last week, a major news outlet focused on a patient who had received stem cells in amniotic fluid. The hospital PR division scored a major success by placing the ad; but the Television Channel that broadcast the story apparently failed to do any independent scientific investigation to support the claims of living stem cells in commercially available amniotic fluid concentrate. The center behind the placement and the physician involved must have been influenced by the false news now commonplace; namely, amniotic fluid has living stem cells when concentrated, sterilized, irradiated, cryopreserved and fast thawed. Certainly, the video of the patient climbing stairs was a tribute to the success of the procedure; however, the success of unknown duration had nothing to do with the claim that the end result was based on regeneration attributable to stem cells.
Amniotic Fluid Concentrate has good things in it but not viable, living stem cells and there is no regenerative potential. I am able to so state as I am the principal investigator in a national ongoing amniotic fluid clinical trial to determine safety, efficacy, duration of effect and appropriate dosage.
To schedule an appointment call (312) 475-1893
To visit my web site go to www.sheinkopmd.com
To watch my webinar visit www.ilcellulartherapy.com
Tags: amniotic fluid, cellular orthopedics, Clinical Trial. Mitchell B. Sheinkop, cryopreserved, Interventional Orthopedics, Osteoarthritis, regenerative medicine, stem cell treatment, stem cells
Mar 13, 2017
It came to pass over the last several weeks that I had contact with two separate patients; one in my office and one by e-mail inquiry. Both individuals had, prior to treatment, roughly the same levels of arthritic impairment. Both with grade three arthritic knees, were similar in age, weight, height and previous levels of activity. The e-mail contact presented with a history of having undergone a total knee replacement two years earlier. The outcome was a swollen, painful and stiff knee leading to a repeat surgery (revision) one year later. Because of persistent pain, swelling and stiffness, a recent knee aspiration had been completed leading to the diagnosis of an infection. The email inquirer indicated that his orthopedic surgeon and infectious disease consultant had recommended surgical removal of the prosthesis, placement of an antibiotic impregnated cement spacer for three months during which time a pic line would allow for a three-month continuum of intravenous antibiotics. There after assuming repeat cultures of the joint would be consistent with elimination of the infection as well confirmed by a normal Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate, C-Reactive Protein and White Blood Cell Count, yet a fourth surgery would allow for another attempt with a Total Knee Prosthesis. All this assuming the infection had been eradicated. Space does not allow for the options if all of the above measures were to fail.
Turning our attention to the second patient who had undergone a Bone Marrow Concentrate/Stem cell intervention as contrasted to the surgical approach, he had recently returned from a second week of helicopter skiing. While it is true that he couldn’t ski eight hours a day for seven straight days, he had enjoyed a great week with friends and his daughter even if he had skied only two full days and four half days. This is his third consecutive year of helicopter skiing made possible by the Bone Marrow Concentrate/Stem Cell intervention he had undergone three and a half years ago.
Certainly, there is a time and place for a joint replacement; but the saga in my first paragraph reviews only some of the risks inherent in said surgery. On the other hand, a Cellular Orthopedic intervention in my experience carries a very minimal risk. In over seven hundred procedures in the last four and a half years, I have not found an infection. Certainly, every patient doesn’t go helicopter skiing after the procedure; our outcomes data clearly documents a return to or continuation of a very active lifestyle after a cellular procedure for an arthritic joint.
To schedule an appointment call (312) 475-1893
To visit my web site go to www.sheinkopmd.com
To watch my webinar visit www.ilcellulartherapy.com
Tags: arthritis, Bone Marrow Concentrate, Clinical Trial. Mitchell B. Sheinkop, Interventional Orthopedics, knee arthritis, knee injury, knee pain, knee replacement, knee revision, Orthopedic Surgeon, Osteoarthritis, regenerative medicine
