01
Imaging review & candidacy
We review your MRI together, examine the joint, and decide honestly whether you're likely to benefit. About one in four patients hears no.
Procedure · 01All procedures
Stem Cell Therapy
Autologous, image-guided regeneration for joints that have stopped responding to conservative care.
SourceBone marrow, autologous (your own cells)
Duration~2.5 hours, single visit
Recovery48 – 72 hours of relative rest. Most return to work the next day.
From$4,500
What it is
Bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) contains mesenchymal stem cells and a rich blend of growth factors. Drawn from your own iliac crest under local anesthesia, processed in-clinic, and delivered into the target tissue under ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance. The goal is not to grow new cartilage on demand — that is a marketing claim, not medicine — but to modulate inflammation and recruit your body's own repair signaling in a way that conservative care has stopped doing.
The procedure
5 stagesWhat to expect, in order.
02
Harvest
Bone marrow aspirate is drawn from the posterior iliac crest under local anesthetic and light sedation if preferred.
03
Processing
Concentration is performed in-clinic. No third-party lab, no overnight delays, no questions about what came back.
04
Image-guided injection
Ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance places the concentrate precisely into the target tissue — joint capsule, tendon insertion, or facet.
05
Recovery & follow-up
Six-week and twelve-week follow-ups, with structured loading guidance. Most patients report meaningful change by week eight.
Conditions we treat with this
Where it’s indicated.
- Knee osteoarthritis (Grade I – III)
- Hip osteoarthritis (mild to moderate)
- Rotator cuff tendinopathy & partial tears
- Labral pathology (hip, shoulder)
- Chronic lumbar facet pain
- Degenerative meniscus tears
- Recalcitrant tennis & golfer's elbow
Transparent pricing
Range
$4,500—$12,000
Typical single case
$6,500
Single joint, single visit. Multi-site or bilateral cases priced after consultation. No financing through third parties — flat written quote at consult.
Who isn’t a candidate
We are conservative about candidacy. The following are contraindications or reasons we’ll recommend a different path:
- Active malignancy or recent chemotherapy
- Active joint or systemic infection
- Severe end-stage osteoarthritis (Grade IV) — surgical consultation is the honest recommendation
- Uncontrolled diabetes (HbA1c > 8.0)
- Pregnancy
- Active anticoagulation that cannot be held
Common questions
The honest answers.
Anything not answered here will be — directly, in writing — at consultation.
Autologous bone marrow procedures fall under the FDA's 'minimal manipulation, homologous use' framework. We do not culture or expand cells, and we use only same-day autologous tissue. We are happy to walk you through the regulatory specifics at consultation.
Next procedure
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)
A concentrated dose of your own growth factors, delivered precisely to the tissue that needs them.