For those who may not know, I had a Regenexx stem cell procedure for my avascular necrosis in 2015. I then had a Regenexx PRP procedure in 2016 to help the breakdown of my joint from my arthritis.
These procedures are the reason I can walk today.
And I don’t say that lightly at all.
Before my procedure, I was on crutches for 3.5 years. I was in constant pain, my bone was crumbling, and I could not function.
By tapping into the power of my own body, I was able to revitalize and regrow bone in my femur and help stabilize my knee. Since then, I have sung the praises of these Regenexx procedures from every mountaintop I can.
Fast forward a few years, my husband Josh was having problems walking. He was in so much pain, and I could tell he was at his witts end because he asked me what he should do.
After going to the VA hospital (he’s a retired army vet) to get an MRI and to see the VA orthopedic, we found that he had two meniscal tears – one on both sides of his meniscus. But other than that, his knee looked in relatively good shape—minor arthritis, but nothing else that might be causing him problems.
Years prior, my hubby had ACL surgeries on both of his knees. He’s always complained to me that his knee feels unstable and aches all the time. His regular doctor told him there wasn’t much to do and to try some therapy.
But I knew there was a better way 😉
Enter: Regenexx.
I called Regenexx Pittsburgh while we were still at the VA and got him an appointment. After a great consultation with Dr. Lieber, he believed his knee wasn’t ‘bad’ enough for stem cells, but he could benefit from PRP. He said that treating his meniscus, ligaments, and tendons with PRP will help to stabilize his knee and tremendously help him with his pain.
What is PRP?
If you don’t know PRP, let me break it down for you (courtesy of the Regenexx website).
PRP stands for platelet-rich plasma, which is created by taking blood and concentrating the platelets in plasma. Why do this? The platelets in your blood are responsible for clotting. They also have growth factors in them which help stimulate repair of the damaged tissue.
What are growth factors? Think of growth factors like espresso shots for local repair cells. They stimulate other cells to do more work and can even call the needed repair cells to the area.
Regenexx Pittsburgh – What is PRP
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and Platelet Lysate are Platelet procedures that contain healing growth factors from your own blood that promote your body’s natural ability to repair itself. . . Platelet injections have a stimulating effect on the repair cells within the targeted area, making those cells work harder to perform their natural job of healing the body.
Regenexx-SCP Procedures
PRP Procedure
Josh and I arrived at Regenexx Pittsburgh at 10 am on the day of the procedure. After we checked in, Josh had to sign up for the registry – an essential part of the process. Regenexx collects data from their patients so that they can track progress, side effects, etc. (7 years later, I still get a questionnaire to fill out, and I do it every March!)
Everyone who works there is the nicest person you’ll ever meet. As Josh had 35 vials of blood drawn, we enjoyed talking and getting to know the tech who helped through Josh’s procedure!
Once all the vials were filled, we left while Josh’s blood was spun down to isolate his platelets. We went to Oakmont Bakery to pick up some goodies for the kids, Target for a quick Valentine’s day run, and then Eat n Park for the soup and salad bar before returning.
At 1 pm, they were ready for the platelets to be reinjected into Josh’s knee! Our initial consult was with Dr. Lieber, but Dr. Sally was the doctor who could see Josh the fastest. From personal experience, I know that all 3 Regenexx Pittsburgh doctors are FANTASTIC, so I was happy to be able to see as many as we could 🙂
First, he went back and got x-rays done. Those x-rays were broadcast during the procedure so the doctor could see what he was working to correct.
Once the x-rays were complete, I could come back and watch the reinjection. Using an ultrasound machine, Dr. Sally guided his needle into the places that needed some love.
When Josh received his ACL surgery years ago, they took part of his patellar tendon and grafted it to his ACL. Because of this, it’s caused a ton of instability and weakness in his patellar tendon. Whenever the doc went to inject it, he said he could tell it really needed some extra attention.
As he worked through Josh’s knee, he validated much of the pain he was experiencing. The VA doctor wasn’t wrong when we told him he had two meniscal tears. But upon exploring, Dr. Sally believes that the pain was coming from the tendons and ligaments around Josh’s knee – which ultimately caused the tears because everything was unstable.
He mentioned that when he does the meniscus injections, it causes a lot of discomfort. Ultimately, he ended up not filling in the meniscus because he genuinely felt that treating everything around it would help resolve Josh’s pain and didn’t want to irritate it further.
Did you know that meniscal tears are super common after the age of 40? He said most people have them from the wear and tear of life. Therefore, you don’t HAVE to fill them in or get them fixed to resolve your pain. A lot of times, the pain comes from other sources. – Fun fact I learned during the procedure
Regenexx Pittsburgh offers pronox (aka laughing gas) if you want it. Josh decided to turn it down. He said he was worried I’d post him saying something stupid and didn’t want to take the risk 😑
During his procedure, he was definitely in discomfort, but he kept saying he was doing alright. Right up until the last injection, he said his pain was ok. But once the doc finished the last one, he said his pain started to skyrocket. When he walked out of the room, his pain was about 8.
It said it was hard to walk on his knee because it felt full and uncomfortable as he hobbled out to the car. As we drove home, he said his pain escalated to a 9-10. In my mind, I felt like this was a good thing because whatever Dr. Sally did obviously had hit what was causing him the most pain.
Once he got home, he said his pain started to plateau for the rest of the night. But that’s not to say the rest of the night was pain-free. Dr. Sally had mentioned that he could expect 2-3 days of joint pain and that tonight might be difficult to sleep because it would be uncomfortable – which is exactly what Josh experienced.
When I had my procedure, my knee swelled up SO big after the procedure. I remember my Dad worrying that we had made a mistake by doing it.
But this is what is supposed to happen!!
The area is causing an inflammatory reaction, and the platelets are now going into their new location to see how they can help to heal. During the first month post-procedure, you must avoid anti-inflammatories (like ibuprofen, naproxen, etc.) and ice. You don’t want to take or use anything that might start to decrease that inflammatory response.
What’s Next?
Next, we focus on healing and rehabbing his knee!
After about 2-3 days, Josh’s knee should start to feel back to how he felt walking into the office that day. He will begin wearing a brace on his knee two days out, which he should wear for the next month to help keep stability in his knee while it heals. And towards the end of the first week, he can begin going to physical therapy.
Procedures like this won’t show immediate results, but within 6-8 weeks, he should start seeing less pain, fewer flare-ups, and notice improvement.
Knowing from personal experience how well this can work, I’m so excited for him to start realizing the relief he can have from tapping into his body’s healing power.
Since then, I’ve had to adjust my traveling a bit. Prior to disability, I had my airport routine down pat. I knew when to leave my house with enough time to slide through security, grab a tea and walk right onto my plane without having to have much downtime. Having to travel with crutches, or mobility issues, definitely threw a wrench in my good old routine. But, over the past few years, I’ve gotten used to a new routine. (Check out my posts I’ve written about 
