Resolution of Large Disc Bulge / Herniation with Stem Cells

LM is a 39 year old male with a 16 year history of back and progressive leg pain after a lifting injury. He had tried chiropractic for years, but over the last few years his pain worsened despite treatment. His pre-op MRI showed a very large disc bulge/herniation contained by the ligament near the back of the discs (Posterior Longitudinal Ligament or PLL-acts like duct tape to hold the back part of the disc ). The technical term for this is a sub-ligamentous disc herniation. LM was entered into one our our disc studies and his sagittal MRI’s are below. Instead of surgery, we injected his own stem cells into the disc herniation area and followed the Regenexx-C Disc protocol.

L5-S1 disc bulge treated without surgery with an injection of stem cells

L5-S1 disc bulge treated without surgery with an injection of stem cells

Notice the large disc bulge/herniation in the red dotted circle on this sagittal MRI view above. The matching 4 week post-procedure film on the right shows that the size of this disc bulge has been remarkably reduced (less disc material to the right of the dashed white line). How about the other view (axial)? This is below:

L5-S1 disc bulge treated without surgery with an injection of stem cells

L5-S1 disc bulge treated without surgery with an injection of stem cells

The red arrow in the before treatment image points to the large right sided disc bulge/herniation which compresses the right S1 nerve root (causing sciatica). Note that the disc bulge is the part of the disc that is beyond the disc margin (marked by the white dashed circle). The one month post stem cell injection image uses the yellow arrow to point to the much improved disc bulge/herniation that is no longer near the nerve. I have included a magnification of this area below. The patient reported good resolution of his back and leg pain. Again, it’s important to note that without this stem cell injection, he would have been looking at a major back surgery where this disc material would have to removed (thus weakening the disc).

Magnification of L5-S1 disc bulge treated without surgery with an injection of stem cells

Magnification of L5-S1 disc bulge treated without surgery with an injection of stem cells

This patient was treated with the Regenexx-C (cultured stem cell injections). Not all low back patients can expect to get these same results.

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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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