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This is the sunset last night from the back porch of where I stay in Grand Cayman. I’m down here again for the next two weeks. Why? Regenexx Cayman is the world’s most advanced interventional orthopedics site. Let me explain.

Culture-Expanded Stem Cells

Stem cells can be grown to greater numbers in culture. The vast majority of what we do to treat orthopedic injuries and diseases uses the patient’s own bone marrow stem cells in the same day. However, for certain conditions and when there are many areas to treat, growing the stem cells to higher numbers can make a big difference.

The World’s Most Advanced Interventional Orthopedics Site

Stem cells that have been culture expanded are not permitted to be used in the U.S. However, there are a slew of countries in Central and South America as well as Asia and a few in Europe that allow this type of therapy. However, none of those sites have physicians trained in interventional and nonsurgical orthopedics. In fact, most have local physicians who have no specific training in this area. What is interventional orthopedics, and how does it differ from surgical orthopedics? See my video below:

Details from This Two Weeks

This next two weeks, I’ll be treating a professional athlete, several patients with severe hip arthritis, and many patients who need multiple areas treated with stem cells. The professional athlete has his cells stored here, so he’s coming in for an off-season tune-up. The hip arthritis patients all have disease that is far too severe for same-day stem cells. Finally, patients with many sites to be treated would never be able to be treated with high concentrations of stem cells in all of these different areas.

Insurance Coverage

While all of our Regenexx US-based procedures are covered under the employer contracts we are signing every day, this out-of-country treatment is not covered. There are no plans to add this at this time, as in the next few years, it will be available in the U.S. Hence, all treatment down here at this licensed Grand Cayman site is the patient’s responsibility.

The upshot? The sunsets are beautiful, the air is warm, and the sound of the surf lulls me to sleep each night. Add in that this is the most advanced interventional orthopedics site, it’s no wonder why I travel down three times a year to see some of my patients.

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