1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

PRP injections-cartilage

Discussion in 'General' started by WERA33, May 28, 2017.

  1. vance

    vance *

    Sorry, just saw this post. I'm sitting on the table now, just finished my 4th session. I was skeptical a few days after the 3rd session because I was expecting faster results, as we all tend to do. I chose to take a month off, so 2 months between sessions because I raced a ton the last few months, didn't want to be crippled while on the bike.
    I must say, there is zero doubt my knee is considerably more stable. Lunges, shoots for singles, everything feels better.
    Stability issues, I'm hoping, will be as resolved as can be expected for a mid40's dude after a few months of training. Right leg is noticeably atrophied from years of favoring. That should resolve itself as long as I'm consistent.
    I had anticipated all of the crunching to disappear from my meniscus tear, but that was probably too high of an expectation on my end. It was never stated by Doc that would be the case. There's no pain and my knee hasn't swollen over the last month when I roll at the end of class.
    Again, life is anecdotal. It may not be for everyone but 5 months into it, 4 total sessions and I'm pleased with the results.
    As of today, it's been well worth the pain and $1000/session, total of $4000. That wouldn't have paid my deductible for a surgery and the down time was minimal.
     
  2. some guy #2

    some guy #2 Well-Known Member

    My MIL is a pain doctor who does this stuff all the time. Most of her kids have had it done but the better result is her husband who has a bum ankle. It has reduced the amount of down time he has for limited mobility but like above it's not going to regrow your joints back or make you 20 years younger.
     
    WERA33 likes this.
  3. WERA33

    WERA33 Well-Known Member

    Thanks Vance.
    I'm looking into stem cell therapy. Way more expensive though. PRP in my hips at this point would be a waste I believe..too much cartilage loss.
    I'm going to do PRP for my elbow tendinitis at some point. I've heard of great results there.
     
  4. wrx_02

    wrx_02 Well-Known Member

    Comes down to if you can live with the pain vs your quality of life.
    If you are 45 or younger and want o be very active I would find the best surgeon and bite the bullet.
    If it is something a OTC drug can help with then deal with it.
     
  5. wrx_02

    wrx_02 Well-Known Member

    I had an extensive shoulder surgery earlier this year. It turned out very well.
    If anyone in DFW needs a joint or plastic surgeon (trauma) I can recommend 2 great ones.
     
  6. JBraun

    JBraun Well-Known Member

    Good to hear. I have a meniscal tear that only gives me trouble in BJJ. Well, I should say it only gives me trouble with one sparring partner who has an affinity for leg locks. Not a big deal yet, I just take a day or two off when it swells up. Down the road though, I think stem cells or PRP is the answer.
     
  7. JBraun

    JBraun Well-Known Member

    Hey @vance , how are you feeling? My knee has been getting worse and recently I've added patellar tendinitis to my list of things to whine about. Combination of overtraining and favoring it a bit while running or rucking.

    I've been putting in a ton of miles training for a thing in May, but after it's over I'm thinking of trying the needle to deal with both issues.
     
  8. vance

    vance *

    Stability has improved, pain has returned oddly enough only when I drive for a few hours. It was made clear to take up a new hobby. He said take up bicycling. We’ve got some big boys at our school and at 170 I play a lot on the bottom. I get folded into a pretzel 4-5 nights a week with no pain or swelling so I’m very pleased with the results. I just sold my truck I had for 6 years and I swear the seats in this Escalade are what’s hurting my knee. I don’t sit much at work and can move around so only when driving does it hurt.

    On a side note, our office is getting an ozone machine and I’m the test monkey for ozone injection into that knee.
     
  9. XFBO

    XFBO Well-Known Member

    Any updates from those who had any of these procedures (prp or stem cell) done?!?!?

    And what about you WERA33, did you ever bite the bullet and get the hip work done??? I'm currently shopping for a hip specialist, I think my [hip] time is up....:(
     
  10. WERA33

    WERA33 Well-Known Member

    Yep, I waited as long as I could. Had both replaced in August 2018.
    I should have done it sooner.
    I did a lot of research on the different approaches as well as local doctors.
    I went with Dr William Kurtz at TOA .
    He’s chief of orthopedics at St Thomas and does the anterior approach. He and his staff were great . I was back at work in 2 1/2 weeks.
     
    XFBO likes this.
  11. XFBO

    XFBO Well-Known Member

    Thanks for sharing!

    I saw two different Dr's from TOA - Murfreesboro, unfortunately he wasn't one of them. Did you ever consider that Birmingham Resurface procedure, is that what they talked you out of?
     
  12. WERA33

    WERA33 Well-Known Member

    I talked myself out of it actually. The range of motion is less and the rate of revision is more.
    Plus, Dr Kurtz has a great reputation gave me all of the facts told me to take my time.
    Check out this page .
    https://www.facebook.com/groups/THRActiveLifestyle/?ref=share
     
    XFBO likes this.
  13. Riders Discount

    Riders Discount 866-931-6644 ext 817

    My niece has Juvenile Myositis and between the disease and the high doses of Prednisone to get her into remission, her joints took a huge hit. They had to replace both hips at 16 and were thinking they would need to do her knees as well. The stem cell treatment on her knees helped a ton and right now they are not even talking any more procedures.
     
    XFBO likes this.
  14. aftriathlete

    aftriathlete Well-Known Member

    Bumping an old thread, but I know i referenced this when I was looking into PRP injections. Just had PRP done in both hips and in my ankle yesterday.

    I did Ironmans and marathons in my early 20s, Then trained into special operations, and now I race motorcycles, so lots of wear and tear. Low-sided when I was learning to ride on track in 2014 and tore the labrum in my left hip -- turned out I had FAI in both hips, which made a non-event low-side a major surgery requiring injury. Had my hip scoped in Jan 2015 for labral repair, FAI correction (I had both cam and pincer type impingement), and microfracture procedure on the posterior inferior surface of the acetabulum where they found a nickel-sized spot of completely missing cartilage (at age 30). The missing cartilage is no doubt a product of the abuse combined with a femoral head that was never able to rotate correctly throughout my whole life due to the impingement. Luckily had a Steadman Institute-trained hip specialist do the surgery, and I've been doing well since. I'm confident I have the same cartilage damage in my other hip though, considering the impingement is the same.

    I have access to a sports doc here that is PRP-trained, so I hit him up to get a treatment. I haven't been in any pain, except for slight pain in my ankle from breaking it dirt biking back in 2017, so the PRP was just in the interest of maintenance and hopefully buying me some more good years down the road. 3 CCs in both hips, and the 1.5 CCs left over went in my ankle, all directly into the joints, guided by ultrasound. It wasn't a fun procedure, but it was quick -- once the blood was spun down and everything was ready, both hips and my ankle were injection-complete in less than 15 minutes. I'm still kind of limping around and taking it easy as my hips are achy -- perhaps a product of all the tissue to get through more than anything, as the 3.5" needle was almost buried completely to get it into my hip joint, meanwhile my ankle feels only the slightest stiffness. Can't speak to recovery yet, but it's the same theory as micro fractures in that you have to give the good stuff like the stem cells and platelets time to actually do what you want them to do and promote some healing and maybe even spark some new tissue generation, so I'll lay completely off lower body activities for a week and then probably another week of riding a bike only for lower body exercise.

    Just a recent personal experience with it in case anyone is considering getting it done themselves.
     
    Last edited: May 22, 2020

Share This Page