Regenerative medicine uses platelet products or stem cells to reduce pain and inflammation and support tissue repair and healing. Regenerative medicine is considered as part of a multimodal treatment plan for patients with osteoarthritis and soft tissue injuries.
For patients with osteoarthritis, regenerative medicine may be given as intra-articular (in the joint) injections of cells from their own body to reduce inflammation and promote a healthier joint environment.
For patients with soft tissue (muscle, tendon, or ligament) injuries, these injections are given directly into the region of injury to promote healing, typically performed using ultrasound guidance.

Platelet products are prepared from the patient’s own blood. Granules in the platelets contain growth factors that reduce inflammation to improve joint comfort and slow the progression of arthritis or promote healing of a soft tissue injury. Platelet products can also improve the outcome of stem cell injections when given together.
Stem cells are harvested from fat tissue that is obtained through a small skin incision. It is sent to a lab that processes the fat and stores the stem cells until needed for injection. The stem cells modulate the body’s immune cells, decrease further damage in the joint or injured tissue, and promote recruitment of circulating stem cells and growth factors to aid in tissue healing.
These procedures require sedation to safely perform and often a series of multiple injections provides the best results.