Regenexx and “Stem Cells”

Cells live on their own and make up all of the organisms and tissues in our bodies. Generally speaking, a “stem cell” is a type of “master cell” that can differentiate into other cells and make copies of itself. However, not every cell is a stem cell, and stem cells are often unique in how they can differentiate and self-renew.

At Regenexx locations in the United States, patients are provided a variety of proprietary, non-surgical options for pain, injuries, and other orthopedic conditions. These medical procedures typically involve the extraction of bone marrow or blood from the patient, the concentration of the extracted bone marrow or blood, and the administration of the concentrated bone marrow or blood by a trained physician via image-guided injection to the patient. The entire procedure lasts roughly two hours, and our patients’ success rates are summarized below.

Because human blood and bone marrow contains a wide variety of stem cells and other types of cells, there will be a population of stem cells and other cells in the concentrated blood or bone marrow your Regenexx physician administers for your injury.

However, 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 to be blindly injected by providers with little or no qualifications.

In an effort to distance ourselves from those products and reduce confusion for our patients, we avoid using “stem cell” on our website, although it may come up from time to time.

For more information about stem cells and a glossary of other terms you may see on the Regenexx website, click here.