The rotator cuff muscles are a group of four muscles that stabilize the shoulder joint. They secure the top portion of the upper arm bone within the shallow shoulder socket. These muscles also function to raise and rotate the arm.
Rotator cuff tears are caused by trauma or age-related degeneration. They are found in 30-50% of the Population > 50 years old. Sports or activities that involve repetitive arm motions, especially overhead motions, can cause rotator cuff injury. Other groups of individuals at risk for this injury include:
- Painters, carpenters or anyone whose work requires repetitive overhead motions
- Avid golfers, tennis players or baseball players who play several times a week
- Dog owners whose over-eager dogs yank and pull on their leashes while being walked
- Victims of auto accidents or falls where the shoulder has been subjected to violent force
Patients with minor rotator cuff injuries often find relief with traditional treatments of physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications or steroid injections. However, since tendons do not have a good blood supply, injuries to it usually result to incomplete healing and recurrent symptoms. Orthobiologics are giving new hope for healing chronic tendon injuries and tendon tears without surgery.
What Are Orthobiologics?
Orthobiologics are cells, tissues, and molecules derived from cells that are found naturally in your own body to treat orthopedic conditions. Orthobiologics can strengthen your body’s own ability to heal damaged orthopedic tissues such as tendons, ligaments, muscles, cartilage, and joints.
Regenerative medicine specialists have found a way to harness the unique mix of cells and nutrients in these “super healers” to stimulate the body’s own healing response.
There are two types of cell therapies that we use in the clinic to treat rotator cuff injuries.
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP): A concentrated solution of platelets derived from the patient’s own blood which contains a significant amount of growth factors and proteins that promote tissue regeneration, decrease inflammation, and encourage blood vessel formation in the tissues of the shoulder.
Cell-Based Therapies: Cells taken from the patient’s own fat tissue (Microfragmented Adipose Tissue) or bone marrow (Bone Marrow Aspiration Concentrate) which contain adult stem cells that have the unique ability to renew themselves and develop into other cell types. These cells not only stimulate healing, they also fight inflammation and pain.
These cell therapies have been successfully used to treat tendinopathy or tendon tears in the rotator cuff, as well as other tendons in the body like the hamstring tendon, gluteal tendon, patellar tendon, achilles tendon, and elbow tendons. To learn more about these treatments, watch our webinar on Using your own cells to treat Tendon injuries here.
Drs. Christopher J. Rogers and Mary A. Ambach of San Diego Orthobiologics Medical Group together have successfully treated thousands of patients with PRP and cell-based treatments for more than three decades. Dr. Rogers is a co-author of “An Overview of Regenerative Treatments for Orthopedic Conditions: 2021 Outcomes Report” which aims to encourage innovative and effective regenerative treatments for orthopedic conditions. The practice’s state-of-the-art Regenerative Medicine Orthobiologics lab can prepare autologous same-day platelet-rich plasma and stem cell orthobiologics with high levels of safety and efficacy.