Thread: FKNA!!!! I Had Stem Cell/PRP/HGH Injections in Two Knees and One Shoulder Yesterday

Originally Posted by auvgeek

PRP is "Platelet rich plasma." Basically, they draw some blood, stick it in a centrifuge to separate out the "healing elements," and inject said healing elements into your problem area. Results seems to be all over the board with some people having great success and others not feeling any difference. I had two PRP injections that never did fix my patellar tendon issue, but it turns out there was bone fragment imbedded in the tendon that didn't show up on any scans. I wouldn't hesitate to try it again before having another surgery, though I'd definitely want to give it a shot with stem cells as well. Another thing: the first PRP I has was done by hand by my surgeon, but the second one was ultrasound guided by a specialist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC. I'm not sure if Patches' wife uses ultrasound, but I'd be cautious about trusting anyone to do it blind now that they have the technology. Oh, and I was able to get insurance to cover the second PRP, but it was a pain in the ass.

I'm not sure what you mean by a "tweaked" labrum. Seems like a labrum is either torn or it's not. I'm not sure what the injection can fix, but if it's down to having another surgery or an injection, I'd definitely do the injection first. I was able to play soccer, climb, ski, etc on a torn labrum (hip) for 4 years by having extremely strong stabilizing muscles. Not that I recommend doing that if it's torn as I'm still dealing with the compensation issues, but just trying to say that being strong makes everything a hell of alot better regardless of what injections you decide to get.

Hope this helps a little bit...

The MRI after the second drunken fall showed no tear. Just a bad stretch to almost tear.
I should probably do more pushups and shit, but i'm lazy.

This whole thread is awesome to read. Splat - great to hear how well you're recovering. I just heard about PRP recently (heard about a red sox pitcher having the procedure, but no idea if it was successful) but had no idea about the stem cells. Anyhow, gives me some more hope for the potential knee arthritis I may have after recovering from a shattered tibial plateau.

Good info in here, nominate for sticky status.

Originally Posted by whatcomridaz

Splat,

Can you comment on the normal trajectory to deciding if you should use PRP or Stem Cell? I'm guessing full tears=surgery partial tears, tendonitis, etc=stem cell? Just trying to decide if another MRI is worth the effort or just go for the stem cells for a grade 2 tear

All I can say is it's the wonder treatment your entire body benefits from. According to my OS, I had a complete tear of my rotator cuff and bicep tendon. It's really feeling fine since stem cells. Put the MRI funds toward stem cells - that's my recommend to anyone even considering it. Stem cells are that god damn good!

I am now at the one year mark and can say that stem cells have changed my life and cured my joint injuries better than I could have ever imagined.
I don't ever even think about my meniscus or torn rotator cuff anymore. Or my other "bad knee."

This stuff works and it works like magic. If you have any bad joint issues, my experience is so positive, I have to say get the stem cells and be very careful of the damage surgery can produce for the long term. If I hadn't gotten the stem clls, I think I'd be looking at a replacement knee and hip by now. That is a nightmare thought.

Hey splat, thanks for posting this. I just posted a topic in the main area of the forums about this, THEN i saw this area of the forum. Not sure exactly the extent of your knees injuries, but i am basically bone on bone right now with little to no cartilage left in my right knee. Wondering if i'm a candidate for Stem cell and wondering where you had it done, and how much $$$ it cost you. Thanks man.

I had an acl autograph (hamstring) replacement and two meniscus surgeries resulting in 60% of my medial meniscus going away. Due to my bowleggedness, that missing meniscus caused my knee joint to go waaaaay out of line and I was an osteotomy candidate, but refused to let the docs cut a wedge out of my tibial plateau and vowed to wait for stem cells. After 2-1/2 years of gimping badly, I had the stem cells/prp/hgh injection a year ago and I feel GREAT! It's like I have a new knee. My knee was developing osteoarthritis - GONE. It hurt all the time - GONE. I could barely ski without dying in pain - NO MORE.

It was done in Tahoe by Dr. Rebecca Gelber. 775.298.1750 Call Matthew, her office manager/husband, and talk to him. He'll tell you everything you need to know. And read my first few posts in this thread. It was 100 days to magnificence but the best possible outcome I could have ever hoped for. SO STOKED!

Hey man, greatly appreciate the feedback. I read all your posts from the beginning, gave me some hope. I just had my knee scoped today but the truth is i've worn out ALL the cartilage so apparently i'm not a candidate for stem cell. Wish I would have know about this years ago when my knee wasn't so far gone and i would have been eligible for Stem cell. I'm glad you are at least getting relief, I know the feeling about the pain, tho i'm not in pain from normal activity, I can't even ski groomers without that shooting pain up my leg. Osteotomy was suggested for me as a second alternative, but like you, I said HELL NO! I'm hoping to get more feedback on here from people who have had the knee replacement and have gone back to skiing. If you don't mind me asking, how much $$ did that procedure cost you? thanks. Huzie

Procedure costs around $6K. I know there have been guys with no cartilage left in their ankles that Dr. Gelber has brought back. You should talk to Matthew and maybe have Rebecca take a look at your images before totally giving up hope on keeping your knee. I think only it only takes a little to get it to start growing again.

I say this for a couple reasons. I've known plenty of people who have been extremely happy with their knee replacements. But the ones who weren't are what terrified me enough to know I didn't want to do that. In some cases, they'll never be the same. Also, as far as skiing, I always think about how Arnold Schwarzenegger took a fall at Sun Valley a broke the pin through and out of his femur bone on his knee replacement.

Huzieiii111, who told you that stem cells don't work for bone-on-bone?

I hear that quite a bit, and I'm wondering where it comes from.

I've had two different surgeons tell me that due to my cartilage loss and lack of any in the area that I wasn't a candidate for stem cell. I was told it might decrease pain in the area but that due to the advanced nature of my knee (bone on bone) that stem cell was not an option. This whole process has made my head spin, and like "Splat's" story about the Terminator, i'm also terrified about the prospect of loosening or shattering a partial implant.

Call Matthew. He's Patches here. Maybe your doctors have never seen what stem cells can do.
Maybe they are resistant to anything outside their realm of experience.

Originally Posted by splat

Your doctors have never seen what stem cells can do.
They are resistant to anything outside their realm of experience.

FIFY. This is very true in my experience. I once had a surgeon tell me flat-out that nobody did a particular surgery for patellar tendonitis when I had a doc in NYC ready to do it. First doc was retarded, and I bet they're the norm rather than exception.

I actually want to give the good doc a call about stem cells. He gave me two rounds of PRP before considering surgery, but I wonder if he's up to date on stem cells as well.

Just another stupid question. What is difference between Stem cell transplantation for articular cartilage repair and Bioknee (http://bioknee.com) by Stone Clinic?

Dr. Stone replaces the meniscus. It's a meniscus transplant. Not sure if he's switched up to stem cells to help it along. His education and research encompassed a lot of things like immunotherapy to prevent rejection, as his wiki page denotes.

The stem cell therapy I had involved what must have been the regrowth of the30%-40% of my meniscus that was let after ripping it a couple times. Feels better still. I was out walking the dog today and was marveling at how strong it feels. 15 months out since I got the cells.

17 month post-stem cell treatment bump to say I hardly EVER think about my knee anymore.

It's the cure!

My knee felt a little tweaked today so I went for a hike, did some trail running and it's back to fantastic. This thread has become my diary for a story I plan to write so others can get the benefit I have. When I think back to how my knee felt two three, four years ago, the improvement, as or I call it, the cure, has been nothing short of phenomenal.

Originally Posted by splat

My knee felt a little tweaked today so I went for a hike, did some trail running and it's back to fantastic. This thread has become my diary for a story I plan to write so others can get the benefit I have. When I think back to how my knee felt two three, four years ago, the improvement, as or I call it, the cure, has been nothing short of phenomenal.

Thx so much for your story and this thread. I have just decided to get Stem cell/PRP done here in bend oregon, my knees are nowhere near as bad as yours but OsteoArthritis is starting to bother me a good bit after 3 meniscus scopes over the years and a lot of wear and tear - I view this as current and preventative treatment. I have had PRP the past few years on both Achilles for chronic tendonosis and that has done wonders. Luckily a local guy now does PRP with Stem Cell and i am stoked, it's also very reasonable at $1750 for the treatment. I won't have it done for a month but will report back here.

Right on Splat I am coming to visit Hanker soon and will try to make an appointment with Dr. towering inferno!

You'll be skiing?

Originally Posted by splat

Dr. Stone replaces the meniscus. It's a meniscus transplant. Not sure if he's switched up to stem cells to help it along. His education and research encompassed a lot of things like immunotherapy to prevent rejection, as his wiki page denotes.

The stem cell therapy I had involved what must have been the regrowth of the30%-40% of my meniscus that was let after ripping it a couple times. Feels better still. I was out walking the dog today and was marveling at how strong it feels. 15 months out since I got the cells.

Ok, thanks for the info.
BTW, There is significant amount of studies regarding to the stem cell cartilage repair -> http://scholar.google.com/scholar?as...rtilage+repair . Studies show promise in stem cells cartilage repair and give hope to us living with arthritis. Though that stem cells cartilage repair research work is in its early stages.

It's not in it's early stages in my body. I'm at about 19 months post stem cell injection. You might want to read this whole thread. I consider myself living proof it works. Or you can continue searching for empirical proof via research papers if that's what you need to be convinced.

Splat, I don't know anything about stem cell transplantation for articular cartilage repair. So don't listen to me and I'm just glad that stem cell treatment helped your knee to get better

I'm just saying it was easily the most awesome cure and better than I could have ever hoped for.

Originally Posted by splat

I'm just saying it was easily the most awesome cure and better than I could have ever hoped for.

Just had my stem cell/prp knee treatment this afternoom, the doc said I would be really sore for the first 12 hrs, he was right. The procedure itself was pretty easy, the drawing of the adipose fat cells from the stomach felt "weird" but no big deal. I'll update on progress in the weeks ahead.