We live in one of the most exciting times in history due to the advancements in regenerative medicine helping people turn back their body’s clock from aging. This is particularly true for individuals suffering from joint pain, which can include osteoarthritis, tendon tears, meniscus tears, and more. In fact, osteoarthritis (which is a degenerative disease of the knee and other joints) affects over 250 million people worldwide, many of which opt for getting a full knee or shoulder replacement as a way of managing the pain. This has opened up a serious need for a non-surgical way to reduce joint pain and improve patients overall function. Allograft tissue for joint pain can help alleviate these issues.
Enter regenerative medicine which has quickly come onto the orthopedic scene with stunning results for treating chronic joint pain. For years, the FDA has approved allograft tissue for healing burn wounds (as a dressing), but recent studies have shown that allograft tissue injected directly into the joint can induce healing. Today we’re going to dive into this so you can learn more.
What Is Allograft Tissue?
The allograft tissue for joints generally uses material (tissue) from the umbilical cord which are key to turning on an internal signal for your cells to begin the regenerative process.
One particularly exciting advancement for the use of allograft tissue is that the material is taken from the non fetal aspect of the placenta which yields an injectable tissue rich in collagen, growth factors, hyaluronic acid, and more that promote healing.
Why Use Regenerative Therapy For Joint Pain?
Recent research has found that injecting tissue allografts directly into the joint space induces the Paracrine Effect which kick-starts the patient’s body into starting the regenerative process. Basically, tissue allografts when introduced into the body will signal to the cells within your joint to start the natural healing process.
In addition, the tissue allografts from the perinatal tissue have a significant anti-inflammatory signal which helps reduce inflammation within your diseased joint.
All of this put together could lead to powerful and long-lasting relief of painful joints which is a radically different approach to healing compared to a full knee, shoulder, or even hip replacement that is generally the conventional option by orthopedic specialists.
What Are The Benefits Of Tissue Allograft For Joint Pain?
Regenerative medicine has been a game-changer for a number of patients who are looking for a non-invasive way to help heal themselves without the full replacement of joints.
Designed For Repair
Tissue allograft suspensions have been shown to help regenerate a wide variety of tissues. These include:
- Tendons
- Ligaments
- Cartilage
- Bone
In the event of a major injury (such as an ACL tear), it’s critically important to heal the entire function of the joint, not just one particular tissue type. With tissue allografts, patients can produce a well-rounded healing process incorporating multiple different tissue types.
What Injuries Can Allograft Tissue Help With?
You don’t need to have common joint pain to leverage the benefits of regenerative medicine. There are a variety of injuries which could benefit from regenerative therapy which include:
- Osteoarthritis
- Tendon tears (achilles, rotator cuff, elbow, etc)
- Muscle tears
- Ligament tears
- Joint pain
- Tendinitis
- Plantar fasciitis
- Inflamed nerves
- Sacroiliac pain
- Meniscal tears
- Patellofemoral syndrome
- Cartilage tears
- Degenerative disc disease
Final Thoughts
As you can see, biological therapies are proving to be a welcome addition to more conventional options for healing joint pain. Compared to traditional surgery where a full replacement is needed to help heal joints, regenerative medicine opens the door for a non-invasive treatment option that actually encourages your body’s own regenerative process to help heal injuries.
Does Insurance Cover Tissue Allograft Therapy?
There are some instances where insurance will cover tissue allograft therapy, but this is very rare and requires a specific set of circumstances. For the majority of patients interested in the use of allograft tissue for joint pain, insurance will not cover these procedures.