PRP, stem cell and Warriors G Steph Curry's quick return from knee injury
The Associated Press
John Canzano | The Oregonian/OregonLive By John Canzano | The Oregonian/OregonLive
April 30, 2016 at 5:07 PM, updated May 01, 2016 at 4:23 PM
Warriors guard Steph Curry is recovering from a grade-1 MCL sprain. He's reportedly working to get back on the court before his target return date (May 9). The Blazers-Warriors series starts on Sunday.
Dr. Russ Riggs joined me on the radio show on Friday to talk about treatment modalities for knees. Dr. Riggs is head of the Reflex clinic in Tigard. Most of the discussion was about my own knees, PRP treatment, stem cell treatment and recovery. But the conversation soon turned to Curry when a caller in Portland wondered at what point fans might expect the guard to make it back for a Blazers-Warriors series.
"If those fibers were not that damaged within two weeks it is possible that he'll be playing (as early as Game 3 of the Blazers-Warriors series)," Riggs said. "I like to be conservative and say, really rest that joint because if you re-tear that MCL it's going to be more than a grade-1 and it's going to be even longer. If it were my decision, I would say two weeks is going to be pushing it..."
On how healing is different with young vs. older people:
"Younger always heals faster. That's because stem cells with each decade of life become less and less responsive. Even skin will take a much longer time to heal in an 80-year old than it does in a 5-or 10-year old. These young athletes heal pretty quickly."
On how PRP (Platlet Rich Plasma) treatment works:
"PRP is basically a concentrated solution of platelets taken from a sample of blood. So when the patient comes in, there's a simple blood draw from the arm. The blood is then separated into its various components in a centrifuge, and a resulting platelet-rich portion is then injected into the knee. The platelets are coated with these granules with healing factors that really turn down the destructive pathways inside the knee and cool that inflammation down, resulting in six to 12 months of decreased pain and better function."
Why knee treatment has become a priority:
"We're literally experiencing an epidemic of it in our country. We have an aging population. We're in a rising obesity epidemic and kids are being pushed into competitive sports at younger and younger ages so we're seeing unprecedented numbers of knee injuries. What most people don't know is that if you tear your ACL or meniscus in your 20s, within 10 years, 50 percent of those will have osteoarthritis. What most people don't know is that there are therapies out there that will really put the brakes on this."
Is the PRP effective with arthritis:
"Yes, it's very effective. In fact it's THE most effective non-surgical treatment available besides stem-cell therapy... but PRP will help get rid of that pain for up to 12 months."
On stem-cell treatment for knees:
"Stem cells are required for any healing. So when we get cut or injured, those damaged cells are all replaced with stem cells. Stem cells are everywhere throughout our bodies where there's blood flood. The problem is, inside the knee, the cartilage has no blood flow. So there are very few stem cells inside the knee. So basically the procedure is taking stem cells from one part of the body -- we harvest from adipose tissue or fat -- take millions of those cells, mix them with the PRP and then inject that bio-cellular mixture inside the joint. And that has been the only treatment in modern medicine that has shown cartilage regeneration."
On why timing of intervention is important:
"If people intervene early in the process, they can prolong the life of their joint. If you don't intervene it's a slow slide onto the operating table for a joint-replacement surgery. Our whole goal and vision is to try to eliminate as many unnecessary knee surgeries as possible and keep people active and healthy and enjoying the activity they love. These treatments are what bring that. They allow people to get out of pain."
The Associated Press
John Canzano | The Oregonian/OregonLive By John Canzano | The Oregonian/OregonLive
April 30, 2016 at 5:07 PM, updated May 01, 2016 at 4:23 PM
Warriors guard Steph Curry is recovering from a grade-1 MCL sprain. He's reportedly working to get back on the court before his target return date (May 9). The Blazers-Warriors series starts on Sunday.
Dr. Russ Riggs joined me on the radio show on Friday to talk about treatment modalities for knees. Dr. Riggs is head of the Reflex clinic in Tigard. Most of the discussion was about my own knees, PRP treatment, stem cell treatment and recovery. But the conversation soon turned to Curry when a caller in Portland wondered at what point fans might expect the guard to make it back for a Blazers-Warriors series.
"If those fibers were not that damaged within two weeks it is possible that he'll be playing (as early as Game 3 of the Blazers-Warriors series)," Riggs said. "I like to be conservative and say, really rest that joint because if you re-tear that MCL it's going to be more than a grade-1 and it's going to be even longer. If it were my decision, I would say two weeks is going to be pushing it..."
On how healing is different with young vs. older people:
"Younger always heals faster. That's because stem cells with each decade of life become less and less responsive. Even skin will take a much longer time to heal in an 80-year old than it does in a 5-or 10-year old. These young athletes heal pretty quickly."
On how PRP (Platlet Rich Plasma) treatment works:
"PRP is basically a concentrated solution of platelets taken from a sample of blood. So when the patient comes in, there's a simple blood draw from the arm. The blood is then separated into its various components in a centrifuge, and a resulting platelet-rich portion is then injected into the knee. The platelets are coated with these granules with healing factors that really turn down the destructive pathways inside the knee and cool that inflammation down, resulting in six to 12 months of decreased pain and better function."
Why knee treatment has become a priority:
"We're literally experiencing an epidemic of it in our country. We have an aging population. We're in a rising obesity epidemic and kids are being pushed into competitive sports at younger and younger ages so we're seeing unprecedented numbers of knee injuries. What most people don't know is that if you tear your ACL or meniscus in your 20s, within 10 years, 50 percent of those will have osteoarthritis. What most people don't know is that there are therapies out there that will really put the brakes on this."
Is the PRP effective with arthritis:
"Yes, it's very effective. In fact it's THE most effective non-surgical treatment available besides stem-cell therapy... but PRP will help get rid of that pain for up to 12 months."
On stem-cell treatment for knees:
"Stem cells are required for any healing. So when we get cut or injured, those damaged cells are all replaced with stem cells. Stem cells are everywhere throughout our bodies where there's blood flood. The problem is, inside the knee, the cartilage has no blood flow. So there are very few stem cells inside the knee. So basically the procedure is taking stem cells from one part of the body -- we harvest from adipose tissue or fat -- take millions of those cells, mix them with the PRP and then inject that bio-cellular mixture inside the joint. And that has been the only treatment in modern medicine that has shown cartilage regeneration."
On why timing of intervention is important:
"If people intervene early in the process, they can prolong the life of their joint. If you don't intervene it's a slow slide onto the operating table for a joint-replacement surgery. Our whole goal and vision is to try to eliminate as many unnecessary knee surgeries as possible and keep people active and healthy and enjoying the activity they love. These treatments are what bring that. They allow people to get out of pain."