For most active adults -- especially those who consider athletics an important part of their lives -- a long-bone fracture is the worst-case injury scenario. Not only is a broken bone extremely painful, but it often signifies a long, difficult recovery ahead that may never bring you back to your peak performance level.
Dr. Trevor Turner wants you to know that with cutting-edge technology and the latest minimally-invasive techniques in the field, a broken bone doesn’t have to be a prescription to sit on the bench. Here’s how regenerative medicine can help you recover from a fracture like never before:
Your Body’s Natural Process
When it comes to healing from a bone fracture, even the most cutting-edge orthobiologic solutions start with your body’s natural processes. When you break a bone, your body begins rallying a particular type of stem cell known as a “skeletal progenitor cell.” Stem cells are unique in that they have the capability to develop into any other type of cell )that’s why they’re so useful in regenerative medicine), but skeletal progenitor cells are already partially specialized, and can only evolve into one of two things: bone-forming cells, or cartilage cells. If the skeletal progenitor cells detect a large fracture, they will turn into cartilage cells, and if they detect a small fracture, they will turn into bone.
When the Body Needs Help
Your body is often very reliable in healing itself properly, especially when the appropriate medical care and physical therapy are applied. Sometimes, however, even the best care cannot enable the body to heal the affected area correctly. This is known as a non-union fracture, and it frequently requires surgical intervention and extensive physical therapy to correct. For many patients, recovery from a non-union fracture is long, costly, and painful -- but with regenerative medicine, a specialist like Dr. Turner can help you accelerate your body’s natural healing process, offering you a quicker, more effective recovery with better long-term outcomes.
Replicating With BMAC
For appropriate candidates, Dr. Turner uses an orthobiologic product called bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) to stimulate the natural process of healing in non-union fractures where the body cannot heal itself effectively. BMAC is a Here’s how it works:
- After numbing the area, Dr. Turner will use a needle to take bone marrow cells from your hip bone (pelvis). back of the hip bone (pelvis).
- An experienced technician will process the material in a sterile facility, sorting out the cells to get the maximum number of stem cells possible.
- The sample will be analyzed for its quality, ensuring that the best possible product has been created for your individual needs.
- Dr. Turner will inject the cells back into your injected area, and the additional highly effective cells will contribute to the healing of your broken bone.
During the natural healing process, stem cells take time to arrive at the area of injury. The direct application of BMAC to a non-union fracture doesn’t just deliver the optimal cells -- it ensures that they arrive at the site of your injury immediately in a high concentration, creating a more rapid healing effect than if they were to travel on their own.
For many patients struggling with non-union fractures, regenerative solutions like BMAC can mean the difference between a long, grueling recovery and a relatively quick return to the activities, sports, and daily tasks they need and love to do. Dr. Trevor Turner specializes in providing orthobiologic services, and he’ll be happy to discuss your options with you.
If you’re interested in how regenerative medicine can help you, don’t hesitate to reach out to Dr. Turner to get started on the road to recovery!
