How Does Orthobiologic Treatment Work?

Orthopedic injuries can be difficult to heal, especially if there’s damage to soft tissue around joints or deep bone injuries. Orthobiologic treatments can help.

The world of orthopedic medicine is continually advancing, and the latest new treatments involve the use of orthobiologics: injections of substances your body makes naturally to boost healing in damaged areas of tissue, including your joints and bones.

At Keck Medicine of USC, Orthopaedic Surgery in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, orthopaedic and sports medicine specialist George Hatch, MD, uses orthobiologic treatments in his office to help you heal faster and more completely from your injury. Here’s what he wants you to know.

What are orthobiologics?

There are three main types of orthobiologics. The first is platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which comes from your own blood. The second is hyaluronic acid, which your body has in spades from your skin to your joints, but which can be produced synthetically. The last is bone marrow concentrate (BMC), which can be aspirated from your bones.

Dr. Hatch uses orthobiologics as a stand-alone or in conjunction with orthopedic surgery. These natural substances won’t be rejected by your body, and give you a better chance at natural regeneration for faster healing.

How orthobiologics work

Different orthobiologics work in different ways, although they all are designed to help your body’s natural regenerative powers boost the healing process.

Platelet-rich plasma

PRP is easy and fast to obtain. We take a small blood draw and centrifuge it for a few minutes to separate the red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The platelets stay in the plasma, which becomes concentrated.

We inject the plasma into the site of your injury or surgery, and the platelets call extra growth factors to the area through cell signaling. The result is faster tissue growth and healing. We can repeat the process several times.

Hyaluronic acid

Hyaluronic acid is produced by your body and is a big factor in your skin's hydration as well as in the “oiling” of your joints for the inside out. We inject hyaluronic acid into joint capsules to help your body mend from a joint injury or replacement.

Replacing hyaluronic acid can prompt your body to kick-start new tissue regeneration, including hard-to-stimulate tissues like joint cartilage. This makes it especially good for injuries to your knees, where arthritic wear and tear take a toll as you age.

Bone marrow concentrate

BMC is marrow drawn out of your bone with a long hollow needle in a process called aspiration. We concentrate the marrow and inject it into an injured joint or surgical site.

Stem cells in your bone marrow can transform into blood, bone, or tissue cells, making them the perfect orthobiologic when serious regenerative power is needed to repair your body. It’s a great way to help you get on the path to being better and stronger than ever.

To learn more about orthobiologic treatments, contact our office by calling 323-442-5860, or book an appointment online today with Dr. George Hatch of Keck Medicine of USC, Orthopaedic Surgery.