A Fall while Skiing and a Failed Knee Surgery: Will a Knee Stem Cell Injection Work?

knee stem cell injection

CP Skiing the Dictator Chutes at Crystal

Can a knee stem cell injection help a skier with a badly injured, arthritic knee and a failed surgery? There’s ever so slight a chill in the night air in Colorado this past week. That’s often enough to get the winter sports enthusiasts thinking about snow. Growing up in Florida, we didn’t really have four seasons, so such sudden and small changes in weather weren’t present. Colorado is different. You mark the time by the seasons. Since summer is showing the first signs of releasing it’s grip to fall, it’s time to start highlighting the skiers we’ve been able to get back on the slopes without surgery. CP is very active 60 year old male who injured himself in January of 2010 skiing Whistler. He was seen in February of 2011 and by that time had tried acupuncture, active release, chiropractic, physicial therapy, and NSAIDs. He had already been through one knee surgery in 2004 and another once since the 2010 fall. He had mid-level pain and felt his knee was still unstable. He was diagnosed with laxity in his MCL, a partially extruded medial menuiscus, a tear in the lateral meniscus, loss of cartilage along the inside compartment, and ACL instability. His knee was a mess and he was looking at a knee replacement, which meant his very active ski schedule would have to be severely curtailed. He was treated with the Regenexx-AD procedure and the loose ligaments were tightened using injections of platelet lysate. We also treated his back with the Regenexx-PL Disc procedure. Here’s his 16 month follow-up report:

At this stage of the game I am 16 months out, 2 marrow draws and and 2 boosters. I am water skiing into 32 off which is where I was in 2009, before the fall. Spent a month in Beaver/Vail last year, 2 weeks in Whistler and 100 + days at Crystal. Needless to say I am a stark raving fan. I’ll be California next month Sept 15th for the INT Western Championships (defending champion) and the following weekend in Brentwood Ca for the Diablo Shores Waterski ProAm.”

Wow, this guy does more in a year than I do in 10! While these results are not necessarily typical, we wish CP many more turns on both water and snow!

NOTE:  Regenexx-AD and Regenexx-PL Disc procedure are medical procedures and therefore have a success and failure rate.  Not all patients will experience the same result or be able to participate in sports at this level.

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Chris Centeno, MD is a specialist in regenerative medicine and the new field of Interventional Orthopedics. Centeno pioneered orthopedic stem cell procedures in 2005 and is responsible for a large amount of the published research on stem cell use for orthopedic applications. View Profile

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NOTE: This blog post provides general information to help the reader better understand regenerative medicine, musculoskeletal health, and related subjects. All content provided in this blog, website, or any linked materials, including text, graphics, images, patient profiles, outcomes, and information, are not intended and should not be considered or used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please always consult with a professional and certified healthcare provider to discuss if a treatment is right for you.

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