A rotator cuff tear is a common orthopedic injury that can limit a patient’s ability to perform daily activities, participate in sports or perform work-related movements. If the shoulder pain and weakness associated with a torn rotator cuff are too severe or do not improve with traditional treatment methods, stem cell therapy for rotator cuff tears may be a valuable treatment option. The physicians at OPTIMAL Pain & Regenerative Medicine®, located in the greater Dallas, Arlington and Fort Worth, Texas area, are leading providers in stem cell therapy for rotator cuff tears.

Anatomy of the Rotator Cuff

Located in the shoulder region, the rotator cuff is a complex structure composed of four muscles that come together as tendons and form a covering around the head of the humerus. The rotator cuff attaches the humerus to the shoulder blade, allows the shoulder joint to move, and helps it remain stable.

When one or more of the rotator cuff tendons experience a tear, a patient may experience chronic shoulder pain, weakness, stiffness and loss of motion. Patients who participate in repetitive overhead movements, such as baseball pitchers and tennis players, are at an elevated risk of a torn rotator cuff from continuous wear and tear of the tendons.

Have you sustained a rotator cuff injury?

You may be a candidate for the Orthofix SambaScrew®

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How is Stem Cell Therapy for Rotator Cuff Tears Used?

Traditional treatments for a torn rotator cuff include rest, cortisone injections and medications. When traditional treatments do not alleviate the symptoms and surgery is not a desired option, OPTIMAL Pain & Regenerative Medicine® may administer stem cell therapy for rotator cuff tears. A stem cell rotator cuff repair offers many benefits over surgery, including a minimally invasive injection of a patient’s own “pluripotent” stem cells found in bone marrow, little or no downtime and minimal activity restrictions.

How is Stem Cell Rotator Cuff Repair Performed?

A stem cell rotator cuff repair is an extremely safe and effective treatment option for patients who have experienced a rotator cuff tear. Autologous stem cells are recognized as having a natural ability to help the body with both healing and regeneration. Autologous stem cells are extracted from a patient’s body, typically from the iliac pelvic bone, so the ethical considerations associated with the controversial embryonic/fetal stem cell treatments are not present. By using a patient’s own stem cells, the risk of disease transmission and rejection is eliminated.

Stem cell therapy for rotator cuff tears requires a sample of a patient’s bone marrow to be extracted from the hip region. The sample is then spun in a special machine to separate the “pluripotent” stem cells, platelets and white blood cells from the red blood cells. The combination of the three healing agents is then injected directly into the damaged rotator cuff to promote healing and regeneration.

For more resources on stem cell therapy for rotator cuff tears, please contact the Dallas, Arlington and Fort Worth, Texas area physicians at OPTIMAL Pain & Regenerative Medicine®.