What are stem cells? How we use them to heal damaged joints and tendons
Stem cells, also called medicinal signaling cells, direct your body's own repair process. At Spectrum Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Center, we place them precisely into damaged joints, tendons and ligaments to help them heal without surgery.
A new approach to injuries and joint disease
Stem cells, also known as medicinal signaling cells, are a fast-growing area of medical science with the potential to change how we treat injuries and disease. They are unspecialized cells that can renew themselves and develop into other cell types. They can also switch on the cell-signaling pathways that kickstart healing in damaged joints, tendons and ligaments.
Below, we explain what stem cells are, how they work and how our physicians use them today. Many findings in medical research point to their potential for treating debilitating bone, tendon and joint conditions.
Adult and embryonic stem cells
There are two categories of stem cells: adult and embryonic. Adult stem cells live in tissues throughout the body, including bone marrow, fat, brain and skin. They can divide and renew themselves over long periods, and they help keep the tissue they live in healthy and working. When tissue is damaged, your adult stem cells are called in to repair it.
When these cells are transplanted into a joint or tendon, their main job is to coordinate healing, drawing in the proteins, growth factors and structural building blocks the tissue needs to repair itself.
Embryonic stem cells come from early-stage embryos, typically four or five days old, before their cells have specialized. Besides renewing themselves, they can become every cell type in the body, which makes them powerful tools for studying development and tissue regeneration. However, all clinical treatment protocols at our clinic, and throughout the country, use adult stem cells or umbilical cord–derived products.
What are medicinal signaling cells?
Signaling cells are present in every tissue and organ, where they play a fundamental role in regulating how the body's cells function. They influence processes such as immunity, inflammation and wound healing.
Stem cells are now recognized as signaling cells with therapeutic benefits for joint, ligament, bone and tendon damage. When tissue is injured, it releases signals that draw these cells to the site. Once there, they release substances that help form new blood vessels and regenerate damaged tissue. They also direct other healing cells of the immune system, which play a vital part in rebuilding tissue.
Using stem cells as signaling cells to treat tendon injuries has drawn widespread interest because of their effectiveness and positive outcomes. Traditional treatments such as surgery, medications and steroid injections often fall short, and some can even damage the tissue further. Physical therapy also has its limits when it comes to healing damaged tissue. Medicinal signaling cells, by contrast, open a critical pathway to healing that may offer long-lasting relief with minimal side effects.
How we use stem cells for damaged joints and tendons
When a joint or tendon is injured, stem cells can be used to repair the damage. Our physicians inject the cells under fluoroscopic or ultrasound guidance, placing them exactly where they're needed. The cells speed up healing and reprogram local cells to reduce inflammation. Over time, they stimulate new tissue growth in the affected tendon or cartilage through several mechanisms.
Stem cell therapy is also used to treat tendon injuries, including tendinosis, tendinitis and tendon tears. A wide body of research shows it promotes healing and improves function. The treatment is safe, non-surgical and minimally invasive, with minimal side effects.
Conditions we treat with stem cells
- Knee osteoarthritis and arthritis
- Knee meniscus tears
- Ligament laxity
- Shoulder osteoarthritis and arthritis
- Rotator cuff tears
- AC joint arthritis
- Labral tears
- Hip pain and hip arthritis
- Lower back pain
- Spinal (facet) arthritis
- Degenerative disc disease
- Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis)
- Golfer's elbow
- Tendinitis and tendinosis
- Tendon tears
- Ankle arthritis
- Subtalar joint arthritis
Better outcomes through precise, image-guided care
Stem cells, or medicinal signaling cells, play an integral role in repairing damaged joints, tendons, cartilage and ligaments. By carefully preparing these regenerative orthobiologics, our physicians, Dr. Roman Berezovski and Dr. Alan Locke, maximize their healing potential with minimal side effects. Stem cell therapy also deepens our understanding of how disease affects the body, knowledge we use to develop better treatments for the thousands of patients we serve.
At Spectrum Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Center, our focus is putting that knowledge to work for better outcomes and better lives. Cutting-edge imaging guides every injection to the precise spot where it's needed, which is one of the reasons we can deliver world-class care.
Let's get started. Schedule a free phone consultation with a doctor to discuss how we can help: call 414-420-9008, and a Care Coordinator will call you back within 2 hours during business hours. Our Wauwatosa clinic serves Brookfield, Whitefish Bay, Delafield, Franklin and the Greater Milwaukee area.
Your physicians
Every procedure at Spectrum is performed by a physician — Dr. Roman Berezovski and Dr. Alan Locke work side by side, using live ultrasound or X-ray guidance to place treatment exactly where you hurt.
Ready to get back to the life you love?
Start with a free phone consultation with a doctor. We’ll review your symptoms and imaging and tell you honestly whether you’re a candidate.
