Few phrases in medicine are marketed as aggressively — or as loosely — as “stem cell therapy.” Clinics across the country and overseas promise regeneration for everything from arthritis to aging itself. As someone who practices orthobiologic medicine seriously, I want patients to understand the landscape clearly.
First, the honest science. Treatments made from your own blood, bone marrow, or fat — PRP, BMAC, and microfat — are legitimate, regulated, and evidence-based for specific orthopedic problems. They use your own cells and signals, processed minimally and returned to you the same day. This is real medicine with a growing research base.
Second, the caution. A large unregulated market has grown up alongside legitimate care, selling products described as “stem cells” from donor sources like umbilical cord tissue or amniotic fluid. Independent testing has repeatedly shown many of these products contain few or no living cells at all — and they are marketed with claims that go far beyond any evidence. Patients pay thousands of dollars for treatments that cannot do what the brochure says.
How do you protect yourself? Ask three questions of any clinic offering “stem cell” treatment. Where exactly do the cells come from — my body or a donor product? What evidence supports this for my specific diagnosis? And is the provider a physician trained in musculoskeletal medicine who will examine me, review my imaging, and discuss alternatives including doing nothing?
Legitimate regenerative medicine exists, and I offer it. But it starts with a diagnosis and an honest conversation — not a sales pitch. If a clinic promises to regrow a joint that needs replacement, walk away.
When you are ready for the straight version, that is what consultations are for.