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Shannon Bock underwent the Regenexx-C procedure to deal with a non-healing fracture of her arm. as a non union fracture surgery alternative.  Her results were quite striking and are not necessarily indicative of all Regenexx-C non-healing fracture treatment.

‘Given the minimally invasive nature of the procedure and the outstanding results, I would highly recommend it for anyone.”

‘In August 2006, I suffered a severe arm fracture that required surgery with a stabilizing plate and nine screws.
After nine months, the “non-union” fracture was still not healed.
While the hardware held it in place, I had pain and decreased use of the arm, and I was at risk for worse injury if I were to fall or otherwise hurt the arm before the bone could heal. After trying a bone stimulator for many months, calcium supplements, physical therapy and being in casts, braces and splints, I was at my wits’ end. My orthopedic surgeon had little to offer other than trying to insert a piece of cadaver bone where the bone was not growing back together. Needless to say, after having no success with the first surgery, I had little hope that another procedure would be effective, and I dreaded yet another long recovery.

Then, I met with Dr. Centeno to discuss the Regenexx-C procedure, which is much less invasive than surgery. My surgeon was skeptical but gave me the go ahead. In April 2007, I had the marrow drawn and was surprised at how simple it was. It felt like a deep cramp, and the site was a bit tender to the touch later that night and the next day, but I was easily able to work and do my usual activity. About three weeks later, Dr. Centeno injected the stem cells directly into the part of the fracture that would not heal, under X-ray, with a local anesthetic. Once again, this part of the procedure caused very little pain. The site was achy and swollen later that night and into the next day, but again, it was nothing that ice, rest and some Tylenol could not handle.

Four weeks later I saw my orthopedic surgeon and had a new X-ray. The bone was finally growing and in fact had healed more in the four weeks after the Regenexx-C procedure than had occurred the previous nine to 10 months! I was amazed and very pleased with the results. In just four weeks, the fracture site that wouldn’t grow was almost completely filled in. My surgeon was impressed, as well.

My pain level decreased, my range of motion improved, and 12 weeks later, I am back to almost all my regular activities. The most recent X-ray (16 weeks after stem cell injection) shows the fracture is healed, and my surgeon has discharged me.

Regenexx-C did what nothing else could. Given the minimal invasiveness of the procedure and the outstanding results, I would highly recommend it for anyone.”

NOTE: This patient was treated with the Regenexx-C cultured stem cell injections and not Regenexx-SD. Regenexx-C is a medical procedure, and like all medical procedures has successes and failures and therefore not every non-healing fracture patient is expected to get this same result.

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