Cutting Edge Therapy to Restore Damaged Tendons

 

Tendon injuries in the foot and ankle, the posterior tibial tendon and the Achilles tendon, are some of the most frequent sports injuries. The Achilles tendon is the strongest and largest tendon the body, and during running it is subjected to 12 times body weight. Damage to the Achilles and other ankle tendons leads to swelling, pain, and difficulty with sports and normal daily activities.

Cell-based Therapy

Injections of mesenchymal stem cells obtained from the patients own blood or bone marrow have help tendons and bones heal.

Although tendon problems in the foot and ankle are extremely common, doctors do not have any sure-fire treatments for them. Nonsurgical treatments include rest, physical therapy, splints or casts, and injections. Unfortunately, in many cases these treatments are not enough.

Surgery for tendon problems in the foot and ankle can be effective, but can require a long recovery. For this reason, Dr. DeGroot and other surgeons and scientiss are looking for a better way to treat these common injuries in the foot and ankle.


Hope and Science

Dr. DeGroot has a registered clinical trial to investigate the potential benefits of stem cell and bone marrow concentrate injections.

Cell-based therapies, including platelet rich plasma, mesenchymal stem cells, and injections of bone marrow aspirate concentrate, which delivers stem cells directly to the damaged tissues, have now become available.

This video shows a patient who had stemm cell augmentation of his patellar tendon repair

 

Bone marrow aspirate concentrate has been extensively studied in both laboratory studies, animal studies, and in some human clinical trials. There have been positive results in restoring damaged tendons, filling bone defects, and restoring damaged cartilage.

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