Find out in 60 minutes how you can avoid surgery.

Have you been told that steroid injections or invasive surgery are your only options to treat osteoarthritis in your knee? Interventional orthopedics provides a non-surgical alternative that uses your own cells to reduce pain and improve function.

Knee osteoarthritis is one of the most prevalent chronic disabilities in the United States that causes pain and a reduction in range of motion and possible activity until even walking becomes difficult. Common treatment options include harmful steroid injections and risky surgeries that don’t restore patients to full function, while the joint continues to deteriorate over time. As knee osteoarthritis progresses, total knee replacement is the most common treatment.

The innovative Regenexx procedures may help restore knee function and mobility, while decreasing pain, without the need for surgery. During this outpatient procedure, our expert physicians use precise image guidance to inject custom concentrations of your body’s natural healing agents into the exact areas of damage to tighten and stabilize your knee joint for better function and mobility.

The stem-cell injection produces a micro injury in the joint. As a result, expect the joint to be sore for one to three days. Your physician may prescribe pain medicines that will not hinder the healing caused by the procedure. Patients can additionally take Tylenol but are asked to avoid NSAIDs. The goal is to allow the stem cells to attach and then to protect them while they differentiate into various tissues. For this reason, you will be asked to keep the joint as still as possible for 30-60 minutes after the procedure. Do not take a bath for three days, but a shower 12 hours after the procedure is fine. For the first day after, you should limit activity on the joint. Wear all recommended braces or boots.

Most patients report a modest improvement in the first month. You will notice that as time goes on your pain that occurred before is less severe and frequent. Most patients are able to resume light activities after 5 to 7 days. Usually at 6 to 8 weeks patients begin to resume a more vigorous exercise schedule. Most of our very active patients are able to return to their regular routine in 6 weeks and push their performance to higher levels in 8 to 12 weeks. Improvements will continue throughout this time period. Most patients notice continued healing over many months. Our outcome data suggests peaking at 1-2 years out. Results vary by patient and depend on the condition of the area treated, age, and general health.