Regenerative Medicine at Medical and Surgical Foot and Ankle Care, PC
Our goal at Medical and Surgical Foot and Ankle Care is to return our patients to their desired level of activity as quickly and effectively as possible. New advancements and therapy techniques are constantly being explored in today’s medical environment to find the best possible way to maximize the body’s own healing abilities.
Regenerative medicine is the process of replacing, engineering or regenerating human cells and tissue to restore normal function. In other words, maximizing the human body’s own capabilities to promote a rapid and accurate healing response. Although standard treatments such as corticosteroid injections effectively decrease pain, with improper use there are still potential side effects secondary to corticosteroids. Regenerative medicine techniques recruit and utilize the body’s own cells to repair and restore unhealthy tissue in a safe and natural way. For many years, these techniques have been available and utilized by professional and top-level athletes for a prompt return to activity.
At Medical and Surgical Foot and Ankle Care, we strive to bring that same level of cutting edge medical treatment to our patients on a day to day basis. Please ask Dr. Naftulin if these techniques might be beneficial for you!
Amniotic Tissue Grafts and Injections
The amniotic membrane is the inner layer of the placenta that surrounds the baby during pregnancy. After a very thorough purification process, the amniotic tissue and umbilical cord are created into either an injectable or tissue graft form. Both the injectable and graft form contain undifferentiated cells that once placed into the body act to recruit your body’s own stem cells and growth factors. This regenerative process acts to reduce inflammation, adhesions and scarring while repairing the tissue in a safe and natural way. At Medical and Surgical Foot and Ankle Care, we have seen success in treating conditions such as plantar heel pain, Achilles heel pain and other tendon tears and strains.
Platelet Rich Plasma
Platelet Rich Plasma, or PRP, has been used in the sports medicine arena for many years as an active approach to expedited healing using one’s own potent stem cells and growth factors. Our blood is made up of many different components, but it is our platelets that contain the desired components including growth factors to promote regeneration. The process consists of having your blood drawn in the office. It is then quickly processed with use of a medical grade centrifuge to specifically separate out the desired plasma that is rich in platelets (PRP). This concentrated PRP is then injected into the area of injury to help promote new tissue growth at a rate faster than your body would normally heal. We have seen great success with treatment of not only plantar heel pain but also Achilles heel injuries with this technique. Ask Dr. Naftulin if PRP might be beneficial in the treatment of your injury.
