Regenexx FAQs

Regenexx procedures are designed to treat common orthopedic conditions and help people avoid surgery using cells from their own body.

A Regenexx physician uses image guidance to inject customized concentrations of the patient’s own cells, from either blood or bone marrow concentrate, into the precise area(s) of injury.

Deciding if a Regenexx nonsurgical procedure is right for you starts with learning your candidacy for treatment.

Schedule your consultation appointment and meet with the Regenexx physician who will evaluate your condition, explain your candidacy for a nonsurgical procedure, and answer your questions.

Some reasons patients choose to learn their candidacy for a Regenexx procedure include:

• Struggling with a condition that’s not improving
• Unsure about a diagnosis or treatment plan from another doctor
• Desire to avoid or put off orthopedic surgery, prefer a treatment that is less invasive than surgery
• Desire to use their own cells for treatment and avoid implants, permanent hardware, grafts, and/or removal of tissue

Although we are able to provide you with results data for Regenexx procedures and your specific candidacy for a Regenexx procedure, no one can guarantee a full restoration of your body to the way it was prior to injury.

Like all medical procedures, Regenexx procedures have a success and failure rate. You can review what Regenexx patients report for pain reduction and joint function improvement for up to six years post-procedure by exploring our Patient Results.

Using the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS and OHRP) guidelines for complications reporting, our complications to date have been in the mild to moderate category and rare.

• Mild: requires no medical treatment. For example transient swelling.
• Moderate: requires treatment. For example, opting for a treatment other than a Regenexx procedure if it failed.

We have published an extensive safety and complications tracking study of adult stem cell use in patients. This study did not show any serious stem cell-related complications and it did not show that any patient developed a stem cell-related cancer. View our Safety Paper.

Regenexx-SCP and PL procedures start with a basic blood draw. Regenexx-SD, a bone marrow concentrate procedure, requires a bone marrow aspirate with local anesthetic. A bone marrow aspirate is significantly less invasive than a bone marrow biopsy. Some patients are given an oral sedative to help to ease anxiety and relax the muscles prior to the bone marrow draw.

Regenexx procedures are performed with comfort considerations for the patient. Local anesthesia is used to numb the area(s) of treatment. After a procedure, the joint and injection site(s) may feel sore. Your physician may prescribe pain medicine or recommend acetaminophen. You will be asked to keep the joint as still as possible for 30-60 minutes after the procedure and limit activity on the joint for the first day post-procedure. Your physician may also recommend a brace, wrap, or walking boot to support the area treated.

Generally, patients return to normal daily activities as tolerated. Most patients resume light activities after 5 to 7 days and return to sports at 6 to 8 weeks. Further improvement may continue over several months. Your physician will discuss what post-procedure may be like for you based on your specific condition or injury and the recommended Regenexx procedure.

Some patients are able to have more than one area treated at the same time. This is on a case-by-case basis and determined by several factors including: evaluation and recommendation of the physician, the amount of blood or bone marrow that would need to be drawn and concentrated to treat multiple areas of injury, and the overall comfort of the patient.

Regenexx-SCP is a blood based procedure. SCP means “Super Concentrated Platelets” and is a type of highly-concentrated platelet rich plasma (PRP) procedure.

Regenexx-SD is a bone marrow concentrate (BMC) based procedure; bone marrow concentrate contains the patient’s own stem cells. SD means “Same Day” as the cells are harvested, highly-concentrated, and reinjected on the same day.

Regenexx does not call its procedures “stem cell procedures.” Unfortunately, that term has been co-opted by sellers of products which are manufactured from birth tissue (typically amniotic fluid or membrane), and then bottled, labeled as “stem cells”, and then shipped nationwide.

Regenexx-SD is a bone marrow concentrate (BMC) based procedure; bone marrow concentrate contains the patient’s own stem cells. The Regenexx-SD procedure uses customized concentrations of the patient’s own cells for treatment and is specific to their individual condition or injury needs.

You can review what Regenexx patients report for pain reduction and joint function improvement for up to six years post-procedure by exploring our Patient Results.

There are many factors that contribute to the effects of a Regenexx procedure over time including: specific condition or injury treated, severity of the condition or injury, candidacy for procedure, and the lifestyle and activity levels of the patient. A Regenexx physician will discuss what post-procedure may be like for you based on your specific condition or injury and the recommended Regenexx procedure.

Your physician may recommend additional types of conservative care to support your post procedure recovery. These care recommendations may include: physical therapy, myofascial release, home exercises, and bracing or taping.

Regenexx procedures are customized for each patient and their specific injury needs. The price and any insurance or benefits you may have are reviewed during your consultation appointment. Generally, platelet (Regenexx SCP) procedures cost considerably less than bone marrow (Regenexx SD) procedures.

Medical insurance plans may cover evaluation appointments, diagnostic testing (if recommended), imaging (X-ray or MRI), physical therapy (if recommended) and bracing (if recommended). While other employer specific benefits typically cover the procedure.

Your plan paperwork or benefits documents can help verify any coverage or employer specific benefits you may have as well as in-network benefits for specialist services within your plan.

Yes, some employers do include Regenexx Benefits for their employees. If your employer includes Regenexx Benefits you will find more details about your specific plan in your employee benefits documents. You may have received a Regenexx benefits card and/or welcome letter in the mail and your employer will have a Regenexx Benefits website link where you can access additional information about your specific Regenexx Benefits.

Unfortunately, neither Medicare nor Medicaid choose to cover regenerative procedures at this time.

It is not uncommon for other providers to offer their patient less costly methods of treatment requiring less time from the provider, basic medical equipment, and offering little to no customization.

Other clinics may also: limit patient access to a board-certified physician, allow non-physician practitioners to perform evaluations and/or treatments, make recommendations for treatment based on a few verbal details or imaging alone, rely on off-the-shelf pharmaceuticals or drugs, perform the same treatment for all injuries or conditions, use a less concentrated treatment, perform blind injections, or provide minimal patient support post procedure.

A Regenexx injection-based procedure produces a micro injury. After a procedure, the joint and injection site(s) may feel sore.

Using the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS and OHRP) guidelines for complications reporting, our complications to date have been in the mild to moderate category and rare.

• Mild: requires no medical treatment. For example transient swelling.
• Moderate: requires additional treatment. For example, opting for a treatment other than a Regenexx procedure.

We have published an extensive safety and complications tracking study of adult stem cell use in patients. This study did not show any serious stem cell-related complications. View our Safety Paper.