Everyone knows someone who has undergone successful joint replacement surgery. Unfortunately, everyone probably also knows someone who has suffered tragic, long-term complications following joint replacement.  Is there a way to achieve improved joint function and less joint pain while minimizing risk? Yes. The Regenexx bone marrow concentrate treatments can provide relief of pain, and improved function in arthritic joints while saving the patient from serious adverse effects. Let’s dive deeper, using shoulder and knee replacement surgeries as models.

Shoulder Treatments

The shoulder is an intricate ball and socket joint that allows the greatest range of motion of any human joint. During shoulder replacement surgery, the surgeon has to get past muscles to shave and resurface the glenoid socket and amputate the upper arm bone (the ball of the joint.) The metal replacement parts are then inserted. There’s now no nerve supply to control the joint timing and force and the unavoidable damage to adjacent structures all but guarantees that this new shoulder won’t work like the original. It shouldn’t be surprising that complications following this operation are not uncommon.

A study from Great Britain (BMJ 2019;364:l298) analyzed the outcomes of over 58,000 elective shoulder replacements for arthritis and found that 1 in 4  men younger than 59 years old required revision surgery within 5 years. Additionally, urinary tract infections, pulmonary embolism, heart attack and all-cause death were all associated with shoulder replacement surgery, and these complications were highest in the older patients. The authors of the study, Richard S Craig et al, concluded:

“All patients should be counselled about the risks of serious adverse events. These risks are higher than previously considered, and for some could outweigh any potential benefits. Our findings caution against unchecked expansion of shoulder replacement surgery in both younger and older patients.”

The alternative? For years, Regenexx has been following patients who underwent bone marrow concentrate shoulder injections for arthritis in their registry. Currently, over 7400 patients are registered. Analyzing the registry results shows that prior to treatment, patients report being limited to an average of 67% of their optimal function. After receiving treatment, they report averages up to 88%. This improvement is still reported 6 years following treatment. Also, prior to receiving treatment, patients report average pain of 4.1/10. One month after treatment, pain levels decreased to an average of 2.7/10, a decrease of 34%. At 6 years, the average pain score is down to 1.3, indicating sustained pain relief.  Overall, patients feel their joints are, on average, already 32% better after only 1-month, and continue to improve from there so that at 6 years, they feel their joints are 75 improved from baseline.

Knee Treatments

Once again, God engineered a perfectly tuned joint that moves through different planes with fine neurologic control. Once a surgeon amputates the knee joint and hammers replacement parts into place, it’s not the same.  A study assessing the prevalence of post-op knee replacement pain found that 44% of patients report persistent pain of any severity, with 15% reporting severe pain.  Additionally, other studies show elevated risk for infection (Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2001 Nov:(392):15-23), need for revision surgery (Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2013 Feb;21(2):263-8), increased risk of heart attack, especially in those having an already serious cardiac condition (J Arthroplasty. 2018 Jan;33(1):235-240.)

An effective alternative is the Regenexx protocol for bone marrow concentrate injection for knee arthritis. Looking at the registry data tracking over 13,300 patients, we find that prior to treatment, patients report being limited to an average of 56% of their optimal function. After receiving treatment, they report averages up to 76%. This improvement is maintained at 6 years follow-up. Prior to receiving treatment, patients report an average pain of 4.0/10. One month after treatment, pain levels decreased to an average of 2.3/10, a decrease of 43%. At 6 years post-treatment, the knee pain is still decreased at 1.9/10, indicating sustained efficacy.