ORTHOPAEDIC UPDATE
Stem Cells Help Patient Avoid Surgery, Return to the Slopes By Corey Gehrold For Steven Appelblatt, M.D., there’s nothing better than carving down the side of a mountain after a fresh snowfall. The exhilaration. The grace. The...toll on his knees?
Regenerative medicine includes the use of stem cells and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy to treat patients of all ages and activity levels without Bryan L. Reuss, MD surgery, allowing them to get back to what they love with little to no restrictions. “Everything I tried didn’t significantly improve my knee for sports function” he says. “I was pretty much told I was heading toward a total knee replacement, and I didn’t want that because I am not ready to give up skiing.” After discussing the pros and cons of surgery and stem cell therapy with Bryan L. Reuss, M.D., a board certified orthopaedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine at Orlando Orthopaedic Center, Dr. Appelblatt was ready to start his stem cell treatment.
Steven Appelblatt, MD, an avid skier plagued with chronic knee pain, underwent stem cell therapy several months ago in the hopes of returning to his passion. Today he is able to ski full days again and he credits stem cell therapy for providing him relief without surgery.
After spending as much of his life as possible on the slopes, Dr. Appelblatt’s knee joints have endured continued use, stress and trauma. With knee replacement surgery out of the question if he wants to continue the high-level, fast-paced skiing he has come to love, Dr. Appelblatt turned to regenerative medicine to reduce his pain and allow him to hit the slopes with regularity once more.
Today, two treatments and several months later, he says he is skiing full days again and he would recommend the procedure to anyone.
“Before, I was typically only able to ski two or three hours on my knee,” he says. “The biggest benefit for me is that I can now ski full days again without pain and I don’t limp at night after skiing. I’m walking like normal - it has just been great.”
WHAT IS STEM CELL THERAPY?
Stem cell therapy uses healthy regenerative cells found throughout the body to make tissue regeneration a reality. These stem cells actually allow the body to heal on its own Once the blood is aspirated from the pelvis a trained nurse uses specifically designed equipment to concentrate the stem cells before giving them back without the use of drugs, and in some cases, they may to the doctor to be injected at the injury site. reduce or eliminate the need for surgery altogether. “The term ‘stem cell’ actually includes different kinds of cells found naturally in the body that can renew themselves, becoming virtually any cell in the body,” says Dr. Reuss. “These new cells are harvested from your body, so there is no chance of them being rejected. They are then injected at the site of injury to restore and generate damaged or aging cells.”
WHAT HAPPENS DURING STEM CELL THERAPY TREATMENTS? In Dr. Appelblatt’s case, his stem cells were injected into his ailing right knee. The procedure was performed at the Orlando Orthopaedic Center Outpatient Surgery Center and he was on his way home later that day after recovering from the mild anesthesia. 24 FLORIDA MD - SEPTEMBER 2015
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