Introducing Stem Cell Mythbusters

Investigational care has a long tradition in medicine. Investigational means that the medical care being delivered is either new and not yet “standard of care” (meaning that it’s not yet commonly performed by most doctors) or not yet supported by level I evidence. Believe it or not, since most medical care being delivered today doesn’t have high level I evidence support, most medical care is “investigational”. The use of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and stem cells definitely represents investigational care both because these therapies aren’t yet practiced by most doctors (although PRP is getting close to standard) and there is no high level of clinical evidence yet. As with any new therapy, it’s often hard for patients to determine what’s supported by reasonable research and what’s not. We see many web-sites springing up offering “stem cell therapy”. Some of these seem to make some sense as the statements being made about stem cells are generally supported by the medical research. Some seem to make no sense, as the statements are a jumble of assertions that either aren’t supported by the research available or just don’t fit together. Stem Cell Mythbusters is a new feature of the Regenexx blog where we’ll take what’s being said out there and vet it against what’s currently published in the US National Library of Medicine or our own internal research performed in our level III stem cell lab. The claim will either be “Busted”, “Plausible”, or “Confirmed”. Let the mythbusting begin!

-To search the entire Stem Cell Mythbusters category, click here…

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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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