At Horizon Spine & Pain of Utah, we believe regenerative medicine should be approached with honesty, evidence, precision, and humility.

Over the last decade, regenerative therapies—often referred to by patients as "stem cell therapy" or "exosome therapy"—have become increasingly popular for chronic joint pain, tendon injuries, spine degeneration, arthritis, and musculoskeletal conditions. Unfortunately, the field has also become flooded with misleading marketing, exaggerated claims, and clinics promising results that are not supported by science.

Our philosophy is simple:

No miracle claims
No rushed procedures
No pressure sales
No one-size-fits-all treatment plans

Instead, we focus on:

Evidence-based medicine
Careful patient selection
Advanced image-guided procedures
Sterile technique
Safety
Individualized care

What Is Regenerative Medicine?

Regenerative medicine, also known as orthobiologics, refers to treatments designed to support the body's natural healing response using biologic substances derived from the patient's own body.

These therapies may include:

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)
Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC)
Cellular therapies
Growth factor concentrates
Orthobiologic injections

Patients often refer to these broadly as "stem cell injections," although that terminology is often oversimplified and sometimes inaccurate.

Unlike corticosteroid injections, which primarily reduce inflammation temporarily, regenerative therapies aim to create an environment that may support tissue healing, reduce inflammation, and improve long-term function.

What Conditions May Benefit?

Current evidence suggests regenerative medicine may benefit selected patients with the following conditions.

Joint Arthritis

Especially:

Mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis
Shoulder arthritis
Hip arthritis
SI joint dysfunction

One of the strongest areas of evidence for PRP is knee osteoarthritis. A 2025 meta-analysis published in Arthroscopy demonstrated significant improvement in pain and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis treated with PRP compared with placebo and hyaluronic acid injections.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) has acknowledged growing evidence supporting PRP in appropriately selected patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Tendon and Ligament Injuries

Including:

Tennis elbow
Rotator cuff tendinopathy
Achilles tendinopathy
Patellar tendinopathy

Several randomized controlled trials have demonstrated improved pain and function with PRP for chronic tendinopathies compared with corticosteroid injections, particularly in chronic lateral epicondylitis.

Spine and Disc-Related Pain

Selected patients with:

Degenerative disc disease
Discogenic low back pain
Facet-mediated pain
SI joint pain

Regenerative spine medicine remains an evolving area of research. A growing number of studies suggest intradiscal PRP and bone marrow concentrate injections may help carefully selected patients with discogenic pain, although more high-quality long-term studies are still needed.

A 2022 systematic review in Pain Physician found promising evidence for intradiscal PRP in chronic discogenic low back pain while emphasizing the need for additional standardized trials.

What Is PRP?

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is created using the patient's own blood. The blood is processed to concentrate platelets and growth factors, which are then precisely injected into the targeted tissue using imaging guidance.

Platelets contain biologically active proteins and signaling molecules that may help:

Reduce inflammation
Support tissue healing
Improve tendon function
Potentially slow degenerative progression in selected conditions

PRP is currently one of the most studied orthobiologic treatments in medicine. A large 2021 systematic review published in Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine found favorable evidence supporting PRP for knee osteoarthritis and several chronic tendinopathies.

What Is Bone Marrow Concentrate (Often Called "Stem Cell Therapy")?

Bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) involves harvesting bone marrow, usually from the posterior iliac crest of the pelvis, and concentrating biologically active components.

These concentrates may contain:

Mesenchymal signaling cells
Progenitor cells
Growth factors
Cytokines
Anti-inflammatory mediators
Cellular signaling molecules

Patients often refer to this broadly as "stem cell therapy," although most modern orthopedic BMAC procedures involve minimally manipulated autologous bone marrow concentrate rather than laboratory-expanded stem cells.

The goal is to create a biologically active healing environment that may support tissue repair and modulation of inflammation.

Research involving BMAC continues to evolve. Several orthopedic studies demonstrate promising outcomes in knee osteoarthritis and selected musculoskeletal conditions, though experts continue to emphasize the need for larger randomized controlled trials and standardized protocols.

What About Exosome Therapy?

Exosomes are microscopic extracellular vesicles involved in cellular signaling and communication. They have generated significant interest in regenerative medicine because they may influence:

Inflammation
Tissue signaling
Cellular communication
Healing pathways

However, this is also one of the most heavily marketed and misunderstood areas of regenerative medicine.

Currently:

There are no FDA-approved exosome products for orthopedic, spine, or pain conditions.
Many commercially marketed exosome products lack high-quality evidence.
Regulatory oversight remains a major issue.

The FDA has issued multiple warnings regarding unapproved regenerative medicine products, including exosome therapies and certain birth tissue products.

Patients should be cautious of clinics claiming exosomes can:

Regrow cartilage
Reverse aging
Cure arthritis
Permanently regenerate damaged tissue

At this time, exosome therapy remains investigational.

Why Proper Imaging Guidance Matters

One of the biggest differences between high-quality regenerative medicine and low-quality regenerative medicine is procedural precision. Blind injections are simply not acceptable for many advanced spine and orthopedic procedures.

At Horizon Spine & Pain of Utah, advanced image guidance is used whenever appropriate, including:

Fluoroscopy (live X-ray guidance)
Ultrasound guidance
Contrast flow analysis when indicated

Precise placement matters. A biologic injection that misses the intended target is unlikely to produce optimal results. Imaging guidance also improves safety and procedural accuracy.

Why Sterility Matters

Sterility is critically important in regenerative medicine. Any time biologic material is harvested, processed, and reinjected into the body, meticulous sterile technique matters.

This includes:

Sterile procedural environments
Proper skin preparation
Sterile draping
Closed processing systems
Physician oversight
Careful handling protocols

Unfortunately, some clinics perform regenerative procedures in non-medical spa environments or without appropriate procedural safeguards.

At Horizon Spine & Pain of Utah, regenerative procedures are performed using medical-grade sterile protocols in a dedicated medical procedural setting.

Why Fellowship Training and Experience Matter

Regenerative medicine is not simply about owning a centrifuge. These procedures require:

Advanced anatomical knowledge
Image-guided procedural expertise
Understanding of spine and joint biomechanics
Complication management
Surgical triage
Proper patient selection

Dr. Devan Partridge is fellowship trained in interventional pain medicine with extensive experience performing advanced spine and musculoskeletal procedures. This matters because regenerative medicine is highly technique dependent.

Patients should be cautious of clinics where:

Advanced injections are performed without imaging guidance
Procedures are delegated improperly
Providers lack advanced procedural training

Who Is Not a Good Candidate?

An ethical regenerative medicine practice should be willing to say "no" when appropriate. Patients are often poor candidates when they have:

Severe spinal instability
Advanced deformity
Severe bone-on-bone collapse
Major neurologic compression
Untreated instability
Active infection
Widespread centralized pain syndromes

In some cases, surgery, physical therapy, weight loss, medications, or traditional interventional procedures may be more appropriate.

What Does the Future Look Like?

The future of regenerative medicine is extremely promising. Research is rapidly expanding in:

Precision orthobiologics
Cellular signaling therapies
Scaffold technologies
Tissue engineering
Biologic augmentation
Gene modulation

At the same time, experts agree the field still needs:

Larger randomized controlled trials
Better standardization
Long-term outcome data
Improved regulatory clarity
Better patient selection criteria

Most specialists believe regenerative medicine will continue becoming an increasingly important part of orthopedic and spine care over the next decade.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are regenerative injections covered by insurance?

Most PRP and BMAC procedures are currently considered elective and are not covered by insurance.

Are stem cell injections FDA approved?

Most orthopedic "stem cell" procedures currently involve autologous minimally manipulated biologic products and are not individually FDA-approved therapies. Patients should be cautious of misleading advertising.

Are exosome injections FDA approved?

No. There are currently no FDA-approved exosome products for orthopedic or spine conditions.

How long do results last?

Results vary significantly depending on:

Diagnosis
Severity
Activity level
Overall health
Treatment type

Some patients experience months or years of improvement, while others may experience minimal benefit.

Are regenerative therapies a replacement for surgery?

Not always. Some patients may delay surgery or reduce symptoms, while others may still ultimately require surgical treatment.

Our Philosophy at Horizon Spine & Pain of Utah

Regenerative medicine should not feel like a sales seminar. Patients deserve:

Honest conversations
Realistic expectations
Individualized treatment plans
Evidence-based recommendations

At Horizon Spine & Pain of Utah, we focus on:

Advanced image-guided procedures
Fellowship-level interventional expertise
Sterile procedural technique
Evidence-based care
Personalized treatment planning

Some patients are excellent candidates for regenerative medicine. Some are not. Our goal is to help patients understand the difference.