Bone marrow, the soft part inside each bone that produces blood cells, is concentrated in growth factors and stem cells, which are vital in blood cell production.
Bone marrow also contains anti-inflammatory cytokines, making it an excellent option for treating chronic inflammatory problems like osteoarthritis. But how is that possible? The answer is BMAC or bone marrow aspirate concentrate.
At Orthopaedic Specialists, Dr. Brandon Downs offers BMAC for various conditions, including osteoarthritis. He is an experienced and esteemed orthopaedic surgeon who provides BMAC for shoulder pain, knee pain, and hip pain.
The bones all contain bone marrow, essential for making blood cells — but it's much more than that. Bone marrow aspirate concentrate, BMAC, is a type of regenerative therapy growing in popularity for osteoarthritis conditions.
Bone marrow is spongy and soft but contains many essential components, such as cytokines, growth factors, and vital stem cells. These components are necessary for cell production and tissue repair.
BMAC is a simple procedure where we draw the liquid form of bone marrow from a bone and process it to produce a concentrated injection. This results in bone marrow that's incredibly dense with stem cells, cytokines, and growth factors.
We use BMAC therapy for various issues because it stimulates cellular production and tissue repair. Osteoarthritis is one of the issues we treat with BMAC; however, it's also beneficial for problems like sports injuries, fractures, and non-healing wounds.
BMAC also helps you recover from orthopaedic surgery. The concentrated bone marrow, with its high level of stem cells and growth factors, helps the body heal faster and more efficiently.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition that wears cartilage away in the joints. It develops over time, leading to pain, decreased function, and reduced range of motion in the affected joint.
Unfortunately, there's no cure for osteoarthritis. However, lifestyle changes, medications, and other treatments may put off a joint replacement until later. BMAC could change the game on osteoarthritis treatment.
The science behind BMAC is the concentrated stem cells and growth factors that we inject directly into the problematic joint. The growth factors stimulate the body's healing process, while stem cells transform into any cell the body needs to heal.
Cytokines are also a pivotal aspect of bone marrow therapy. They are anti-inflammatory, helping to reduce osteoarthritis pain and inflammation in the joint. All together, these aspects of BMAC help to reduce pain and inflammation and repair damaged cartilage to improve overall functionality.
Bone marrow therapy is an excellent option if you're in pain but not ready to have a total joint replacement. It works best for mild to moderate osteoarthritis in the knees, hips, shoulders, and ankles.
One significant benefit is that it's minimally invasive, and you don't need anesthesia or surgery. BMAC is a simple injection directly into the affected joint and begins working immediately. Other benefits of bone marrow therapy include:
BMAC is a beneficial option for people with osteoarthritis. It potentially delays invasive surgery and heals the joint from the inside out. Compared to other treatments and medications, it has very few side effects.
Dr. Downs often pairs bone marrow therapy with lifestyle changes and physical therapy to get the best outcome from treatment.
Call Dr. Downs at Orthopaedic Specialists today to schedule an appointment for bone marrow therapy at one of our five offices in the Nashville, Tennessee area, or request a consultation on our website.
