Regenerative Biologics represents the cutting edge of musculoskeletal care. Not every patient requires surgery, and Dr. Simovitch is a firm believer in exhausting all nonoperative treatments and using surgery as a LAST resort. It is widely understood that there is a gap between when patients are diagnosed with a shoulder condition and when they absolutely require surgery.
Out of necessity, there has been an explosion of biologic regenerative procedures though there has been very little oversight in its application. Some doctors offer the use of stem cell therapy, but in actuality, the use of stem cell therapy for orthopedic conditions is not FDA approved or permitted in the United States. Often, treatments called stem cell therapy are anything but stem cells and revolve around the injection of other types of cells with, at best, a low concentration of stem cells.
Cortisone reduces inflammation but it very temporary and over time result sin tissue damage and a worsening condition. Regenerative biologic injections and procedures are meant to induce an inflammatory healing response and hence do not result in damage or the negative effects of cortisone.
Two promising regenerative procedures are the use of LIPOGEMS and PRP, both of which are FDA-approved. Dr. Simovitch’s preference is LIPOGEMS for shoulder arthritis and full-thickness rotator cuff tears, whereas PRP is his preference for partial-thickness rotator cuff tears and other degenerative biceps and rotator cuff conditions. Both procedures are performed in the office and are relatively pain-free. They can also be used at the time of rotator cuff surgery to aid in soft tissue healing. Currently, they are not covered by insurance and thus are an out-of-pocket expense. More information can be found on the LIPOGEMS and PRP pages.