When it comes to restoring function and alleviating symptoms with orthopedic treatments, surgical procedures provide highly effective outcomes for many patients. There are many instances when surgery is not the best treatment option for our patients. In these instances our team at KCOA is equipped to provide solutions to meet your needs.
One of the core beliefs of Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance providers is to do everything in our power to avoid an unnecessary surgical procedure. Part of this belief involves utilizing the most advanced technologies and treatments available to treat our patients’ pain conservatively.
Orthobiologics, one of the fastest growing and ever-evolving fields in medicine, is a shining example of an effective alternative to surgery.
Also known as regenerative medicine, orthobiologics help restore damaged tissue using platelets, mesenchymal stem cells, plasma proteins, and growth factors from your body. For patients dealing with musculoskeletal injuries, treatments like stem cell and PRP injections in Kansas City can help promote and expedite the healing process.
Read on to learn more about orthobiologics and the different regenerative treatments available at KCOA!
Orthobiologics Overview
To sum it up in a single sentence: orthobiologics are orthopedic treatments that utilize a patient’s own healing potential—through the use of their body’s cells and growth factors— to help recover from their injury KCOA providers can use orthobiologic treatments to help repair a variety of different injuries in the following areas:
At a basic level, the process involves—depending on the treatment—drawing a blood or tissue sample from the patient and spinning it through a centrifuge. The centrifuge then concentrates the growth factors and cells contained in the sample and separates them from the other components in your blood. Once the centrifuge creates a concentrated solution, our providers then inject those growth factors and cells back into the treatment area.
There’s a decent chance that you’ve already heard of certain orthobiologic treatments before. The two types that are most commonly used by KCOA providers, stem cell treatment and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, are two of the most common treatments under the orthobiologics umbrella.
These treatments continue to rise in popularity—and there’s a reason. More and more people are turning to orthobiologic treatments due to their effectiveness as an alternative to surgery. Because treatments like stem cell and PRP injections in Kansas City are minimally invasive, there’s virtually zero downtime following your procedure, unless your physician instructs you otherwise.
Additionally, since treatments use your body’s own healing capabilities, the results are completely natural and pose nearly no risk for harmful outcomes. In many cases, just one visit to a KCOA orthobiologics provider can bring relief starting as soon as 2 to 8 weeks after treatment—some of which may provide permanent healing over time.
Advancing Technology
Orthobiologics aren’t a new concept in medicine. In fact, some treatments have even been around for decades. However, what makes these treatments particularly advanced is the constantly evolving technology being used to administer them. As research into orthobiologics and regenerative medicine has advanced over the last 2 decades, so too has the number of medical professionals embracing their benefits.
One of the most notable advancements in orthobiologic treatments has been the increased use of musculoskeletal ultrasound during treatment. As leaders in their field and early adopters of this technology, KCOA’s orthobiologics providers consider this advanced imaging tool essential for providing successful outcomes for patients.
Regardless of which orthobiologic treatment a patient receives at KCOA, each person will start their process with a musculoskeletal ultrasound. This tool allows our providers to see a patient’s tendons, joints, ligaments, and nerves to determine the exact location requiring treatment. With this information, they can precisely determine the proper injection point to provide an optimal treatment outcome.
What to Know Before Treatment
It’s important to know that not everyone or every condition is suitable to be treated with orthobiologics. The ultimate goal of all treatments at KCOA is to find the best available, least invasive, and least expensive treatment to restore function and allow you to live a pain-free life. In many cases, orthobiologic treatments like stem cell and PRP injections in Kansas City provide those outcomes.
However, some patients have certain conditions that will prevent successful outcomes from orthobiologics. For instance, if a patient’s injury is extraordinarily severe or if they suffer from an ongoing cancer, orthobiologic treatments may not be recommended.
Before starting any treatment, our providers will meet with a patient to discuss their medical history, symptoms, goals, and all other factors that may affect treatment. In the vast majority of instances, our providers can determine the likelihood of success from orthobiologics during this time.
Additionally, orthobiologic treatments aren’t guaranteed to cure all of a patient’s symptoms. Most orthobiologics patients experience their desired outcomes, but no treatment works on 100% of people even if all are suitable candidates. Our providers can help you determine an alternative treatment or, potentially, offer an additional injection in this unlikely event.
Orthobiologic Treatment Options
Your provider will recommend the exact treatment, or combination of treatments, based on a few factors, including:
- Your consultation
- Physical examination
- Type of injury
- Injury location
- Imaging results
There is a wide range of different injuries that orthobiologics can treat, which you can learn about on our orthobiologics page.
Platelet Rich Plasma & Stem Cells
Stem Cell and PRP injections in Kansas City are perhaps the two most well-known orthobiologic treatments. In fact, our providers often combine the two treatments in order to provide a more optimal outcome. The process for the two treatments is similar, and both help to stimulate cell growth and activate the body’s natural healing abilities. However, they do have some slight differences.
With PRP injections in Kansas City, our providers use a patient’s blood to concentrate the blood’s platelets and growth factors. Stem cell injections, on the other hand, use the regenerative stem cells harvested from the body.
We utilize anesthesia during stem cell injections to make treatments as easy as possible for patients. Patients often describe both procedures as having minimal discomfort.
Prolotherapy
Although not used as often, prolotherapy (also known as proliferation therapy) can provide desired outcomes in certain patients. Prolotherapy works by using varying levels of dextrose water as an irritant solution. This irritant actually helps to trick the joint into thinking that the treatment area is more injured than it really is. When this happens, it triggers a healing response from the perceived inflammation in the area.
Combination Injections
Through numerous trials and studies, KCOA providers have seen the effect of combining additional injections as part of an orthobiologic treatment plan. In many cases, our providers will even add both hyaluronic acid (HA) and autologous thrombin injections to a patient’s stem cell, prolotherapy, or PRP injections in Kansas City.
HA and autologous thrombin injections serve different purposes, but they each work well in a complementary capacity. HA is the more common of the two, and is a naturally occurring chemical in a healthy person’s joints and tendons. Similarly, thrombin is a naturally occurring protein in the body that’s essential for wound healing and homeostasis.
HA injections provide anti-inflammatory benefits that encourage ligament and tendon growth, while acting as a cushion to protect in and around the treatment area. Meanwhile, autologous thrombin injections concentrate your body’s thrombin (located in your blood) to clot the area and keep stem cells in place.
Your provider will ultimately determine whether to use these additional injections as part of your stem cell, protherapy, or PRP injections in Kansas City.
Benefits of Orthobiologic Treatment at KCOA
There are wide-ranging benefits that come with orthobiologic treatments at KCOA. Procedures like stem cell and PRP injections in Kansas City often provide a permanent cure to the injured area.
Most patients experience improvements in function and significant relief from pain and symptoms through the use of orthobiologic treatments. This likelihood grows even larger when combined with other complimentary treatments.
Another benefit of turning to KCOA for your orthobiologic treatment is the experience and expertise offered by our providers, Dr. Michael Khadavi, MD and Dr. Brittany Moore, MD. Both have practiced in the field of orthobiologics for several years, gaining numerous achievements as well as national recognition for their work.
Playing a large role in that expertise is KCOA’s status as the most subspecialized clinic in Kansas City. Both Dr. Khadavi and Dr. Moore, as well as all other physicians at KCOA, practice specific subspecialties within the area of orthopedics. This allows them to focus and excel in their particular area of interest: orthobiologics.
As a result, both are consistently on top of the latest advancements in orthobiologic treatment and technology. Backed by significant administrative support, physicians are empowered to explore and further their education in a specific orthopedic area to provide more optimal treatment outcomes.
Contact KCOA for Orthobiologic Treatments Using Stem Cell & PRP Injections in Kansas City.
At Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance, we’re dedicated to creating a superior patient experience for all. Regardless of the location or severity of your injury, our team will work with you to ensure the best possible outcomes.
Schedule an appointment with one of our providers to find the best treatment option for your needs. Using state-of-the-art technology, we can help pinpoint the underlying causes of your issues and use orthobiologic treatments to help you get back to a pain-free lifestyle.
For a thorough evaluation, call us at (913) 319-7600 or use our symptom tracker tool.
