Regenexx: Frequently Asked Questions and Answers (2024)

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What is a Regenexx nonsurgical procedure?

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.

Is a Regenexx nonsurgical procedure right for me?

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

Will my body be fully restored after a Regenexx procedure?

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.

Are Regenexx procedures safe?

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.

Is a Regenexx procedure painful?

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.

How soon after a Regenexx nonsurgical procedure can I resume normal activities?

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.

Can more than one body area be treated at the same time?

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.

What is the difference between a Regenexx-SCP procedure and a Regenexx SD procedure?

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.

How do "stem cell therapy" or other "stem cell procedures" compare to a Regenexx-SD procedure?

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.

How long will a Regenexx procedure last?

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.

How can I schedule a Regenexx consultation?

Simply call our office at 1-855-330-5818 to schedule. Or find a location near you to request an appointment online.

If you choose to submit an online request, a Regenexx team member will call you to confirm your appointment date and time and answer any questions you may have.

What will happen during my Regenexx consultation?

During a Regenexx consultation appointment, the physician evaluates your injury through a full range of motion and reviews any imaging you may have (MRI). They will use the four-part SANS (stability, articulation, neuromuscular, and symmetry) method of evaluation to identify areas of injury and causes of pain. Additional evaluation may be performed with advanced ultrasound imaging.

The physician will explain to you in detail what the evaluation is yielding, discuss your candidacy for a Regenexx procedure, and answer any questions you may have.

Is physical therapy needed after the 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.

How much do Regenexx procedures cost?

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.

What do insurance plans cover or reimburse?

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.

Do employers include or offer Regenexx Benefits?

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.

Do Medicare or Medicaid cover Regenexx Procedures?

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

Why do other clinics and providers charge less?

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.

What are the side effects and risks with Regenexx nonsurgical procedures?

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.

Regenexx: Frequently Asked Questions and Answers (2024)

FAQs

What is the Regenexx controversy? ›

Regulators have argued that the Regenexx procedure is equivalent to the administration of a drug because the stem cells that are re-injected into patients constitute an “'article' that is intended to treat, cure, and mitigate diseases and to affect the structure and function of the patient's body,” therefore fitting ...

What is the success rate of Regenexx? ›

knee Function Improvement After Regenexx Procedure

Prior to treatment, patients report being limited to an average of 56% of their optimal function. After receiving treatment, they report averages up to 76%.

How long does it take for Regenexx to work? ›

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.

Is Regenexx worth it? ›

The overall long-term success in treating musculoskeletal pain is, on average, reported to be between 50% and 78%. Most regions of the body report between 50 and 60% improvement. This is impressive considering that almost the entire Regenexx population is being surveyed.

Why are doctors against stem cells? ›

Opponents argue that the research is unethical, because deriving the stem cells destroys the blastocyst, an unimplanted human embryo at the sixth to eighth day of development. As Bush declared when he vetoed last year's stem cell bill, the federal government should not support “the taking of innocent human life.”

Is there a downside to stem cell therapy? ›

Infection is one of the most common early side effects of a stem cell transplant. It happens because the white blood cell count is very low and the immune system is weak. Bacterial infections are most common. Viral or fungal infections can also happen.

How much does Regenexx procedure cost? ›

Cash Pricing
CodeProcedure DescriptionCash Price
20999-PLInjection, Platelet Lysate, Including Image Guidance$800.00
20999-SDSCInjection, Same Day Stem Cells, Including Image Guidance$4,500.00
PRPKITPRP Regenexx Kit$119.00
SDKITStem Cell Kit$599.00
13 more rows

How much does Regenexx treatment cost? ›

In a marketing booklet, Regenexx, whose injections range in price from $1,500 to $9,000, notes that its treatments cost a fraction of major surgery. A single knee replacement, for example, ranges from $19,000 to $30,000 in the U.S.

Does Regenexx work for knees? ›

As an alternative, Regenexx regenerative orthopedic procedures are designed to help reduce knee pain and improve function with precise highly specific image-guided medical procedures.

What is the downtime for Regenexx? ›

In general, we recommend that your progression through the rehabilitation phases and return to activity should be based on your symptoms. The first 6 weeks we want you to be conservative. For most procedures there is very little down time (1-3 days).

What to avoid after stem cell injections? ›

Avoid traction, heavy load or resistance, and NSAIDs the first four weeks of recovery. Ultrasound/STIM/TENS units are not suggested for therapy during this time. In weeks 4–8, you can progress to more activity and gradually add more resistive load to workouts.

Is Regenexx painful? ›

To better access how our patients feel about this procedure, we ran questionnaires on 44 consecutive patients undergoing marrow draws (primarily in Jan-Feb 2009). 86% said they had no to mild discomfort. 88% said that the procedure was either less uncomfortable or about what they thought it would be.

Is Regenexx covered by Medicare? ›

Regenexx provides treatment for various conditions, such as arthritis and injuries, using injections, but Medicare does not cover them. Using a bone marrow concentrate from your own stem cells, some patients have found the treatment to be helpful.

Is Regenexx the same as PRP? ›

Regenexx-SCP is a superior form of Platelet Rich Plasma, or PRP, which is commonly used to help heal injuries and joint pain.

Is Regenexx approved by the FDA? ›

No, they are definitely not FDA approved.

FDA approval means that the FDA has reviewed the product which has gone through extensive clinical trials per medical use. So that's one FDA approval for knee arthritis, a separate one for hip arthritis, and yet another for shoulder pain.

Why is stem cell therapy so controversial? ›

However, human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research is ethically and politically controversial because it involves the destruction of human embryos. In the United States, the question of when human life begins has been highly controversial and closely linked to debates over abortion.

Why is the FDA against stem cell therapy? ›

These unproven, unregulated stem cell treatments carry significant risk. The risks range from administration site reactions to dangerous adverse events. For example, injected cells can multiply into inappropriate cell types or even dangerous tumors.

Why is stem cell therapy illegal in the United States? ›

What stem cells are illegal in the US? FDA has clearly stated that the use of Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF), amniotic tissue, or exosomes are all obtained by more than minimal manipulation. To use any of these products they need to go through the formality IND study which must be approved by the FDA.

What is the current controversy about stem cells? ›

Current ethical controversies regarding stem cell-based therapy are focused on the unlimited differentiation potential of iPSCs which can be used in human cloning, as a risk for generation of human embryos and human-animal chimeras.

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