PRP is a mixture of concentrated platelets and white blood cells derived from your own blood and/or bone marrow.

There are many different types of stem cells, but when it comes to bone marrow aspirate, mesenchymal, hematopoietic, and endothelial stem cells are key. A mixture of platelets and these stem cells are found in bone marrow and have the ability to help new bone, cartilage, and soft tissue to form. Bone marrow also contains platelets that store signaling proteins that these cells need in order to perform their duty.

PRP can be obtained from a simple blood draw from your arm, or from a bone marrow aspiration typically drawn from the back side of the pelvis bone or the posterior iliac crest. Blood or bone marrow is then placed in a specialized centrifuge that separates and concentrates your body’s own natural healing and regenerative cells. The process takes approximately 20 minutes.

Depending on your physician, you may be put to sleep for the bone marrow extraction. However, most patients stay awake as it is very well tolerated with localized numbing agents.

Known applications for PRP from whole blood include soft tissue injuries such as muscle tears and tendonitis. .Known applications for PRP from concentrated bone marrow include osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease.

Your physician may go over multiple treatment options with you depending on the severity of your condition.

There is no age limit for PRP treatments, and contrary to popular myths, your cells do not disappear after the age of 50.

Depending on your condition and your physician’s treatment plan, more than one injection may be required. For more information, please consult your physician.

Regenerative medicine holds tremendous promise as an alternative treatment to surgery. Several studies have shown lasting results for at least 6 months to 2 years and longer.

There are many studies showing the safety and efficacy of PRP and PRP from cBMA for tissue healing/regeneration. The centrifugation system and disposable used by your physician should be FDA approved for processing peripheral blood and/or bone marrow aspirate to produce a PRP, however, specific procedures are at the discretion of your physician and are deemed ‘practice of medicine’ by the FDA.

Generally, PRP injections are not covered by insurance. Fees for regenerative injection procedures vary across the country and can be based on type of injection , number of injection sites, and miscellaneous equipment needed such as the use of a fluoroscope. In most cases, the cost of these procedures is less than or equal to the out of pocket costs for surgery without the downtime or extensive risk factors.

Some regenerative cells can multiply themselves and transform into various types of tissue. Other types of regenerative cells help these tissue forming cells to perform their duties. Your own cells from your body are used for your procedure. The process of collecting and concentrating blood and bone marrow aspirate is performed during your procedure and only takes 15 minutes.

You have regenerative cells throughout your body. They orchestrate tissue formation such as bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, heart, blood vessels, and nerves. They are the reason why we can heal ourselves.

The richest source for these cells are in bone marrow and fat.

Some regenerative cells have been shown to transform into specific tissues when transplanted. Cells that are found in your bone marrow have the ability to help new bone, cartilage, and soft tissue to form. Bone marrow also contains platelets, which store signaling molecules that these cells need in order to perform their duty. A centrifuge is used to separate and concentrate cellular components from other components of your blood and bone marrow to form cBMA.