Orthobiologics

You never know when you might need to see an orthopedic surgeon. From cradle to casket, accidents and injuries are an inevitable part of life, with your joints worse off for it. Even if you can avoid accidents, wear and tear in your joints can lead to arthritis, with an estimated 150,000 knee and hip replacements performed in the US every year, predicted to triple by 2040. While the young and fit can recover from injuries with conventional treatment, we might find our joints don’t respond the same way as we age. Tissue such as cartilage, ligaments, and tendons have very little capacity to regenerate and heal by themselves, which worsens as we age. We often resort to joint replacement and invasive procedures to fix our joints when our bodies cannot. Traditionally the choice is between conservative management – physical therapy, mobility aids, steroid injections, and surgical procedures, including joint replacement. Conservative measures may be less effective, but invasive surgery comes with pain and medical risks. With the conventional treatment model, the question becomes – should you risk your health or your mobility?