Regenerative Medicine & Rehabilitation
Regenerative medicine is a field of therapy that harnesses the regenerative properties of certain cells in your own body to help heal diseased or damaged tissues and organs. It uses the body’s tissue components to replace lost tissue, accelerate healing and recovery, and provide pain relief. Even pets can take advantage of this treatments. The most common veterinary use of stem cells is in treating osteoarthritis in dogs, as well as in treating bone injuries, injuries to the ligaments, tendons, joints, and the spinal cord.
Regenerative medicine focuses on 3 areas:
- Improving the body’s ability to heal
- Replacing lost organs and tissue with a healthy tissue from a donor
- Using stem cells, which have the capability of transforming into any type of tissue, as well as cell products such as growth factors to restore tissue and organ function.
Rehabilitation is a treatment method designed to facilitate recovery after a serious injury, illness or surgery. It is aimed at restoring the physical, sensory, intellectual, psychological and social function of the pet. The goal of a rehabilitation program varies depending on the needs but is aimed at achieving a quick recovery. If your pet has any of the following, it may benefit from rehabilitation which includes:
- Arthritis
- Bursitis or tendonitis
- Ligament tears
- Sprains or muscle strains
- Spasms or weakness
- Spine disorders
- Changes in appetite or behaviour changes
- Change in movement quality
- Limping or gait abnormality
- Reluctance to engage in play or go for walks
- Difficulty in jumping up on the bed or sofa
- Posture changes during daily activities
Orthobiologics
Orthobiologics are natural substances such as cells, tissue, blood components and growth factors that are harnessed to aid in the treatment of orthopaedic injuries or conditions. They may be used to replace lost tissue, stimulate regeneration and healing, reduce pain and inflammation and improve joint function.
Orthobiologics may be obtained from your pets’ own body or from a donor. They may be administered in the form of injections or may require a surgical procedure. They may be used alone as a conservative treatment or following orthopaedic surgery to enhance results.
Platelet Enriched Plasma
Platelet-rich plasma or PRP is a high concentration of platelets and plasma. A normal blood specimen contains only 6% platelets, while platelet-rich plasma contains 94% of platelets and 5 to 10 times the concentration of growth factors found in normal blood, thus greater healing properties.
Canine PRP is a relatively new method of treatment that can help alleviate painful symptoms, promote healing and reduce recovery time using your pets’ own blood. The procedure can be done in the hospital as a day-procedure.
In veterinary medicine, PRP is indicated for treating several orthopaedic conditions such as tendon, ligament injuries and osteoarthritis.
Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate
BMAC is a concentrate of regenerative stem cells obtained from pet’s own bone marrow. Bone marrow is the soft, spongy tissue that is found in the centre of bones, including hip or pelvic bone. Bone marrow is the section of the body where blood is generated. The stem cells from BMAC are specialized cells that are known to replicate themselves into various types of tissues and help to speed up the healing process by boosting the body’s natural healing abilities and promote tissue growth.
BMAC is mainly used in the treatment of joints and tendons in pets.
Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cell therapy is a form of regenerative medicine that utilizes the body’s natural healing mechanism to treat various conditions. Stem cells are being used in regenerative medicine to renew and repair diseased or damaged tissues and have shown promising results in treatments of various orthopaedic, cardiovascular, neuromuscular and autoimmune conditions. Stem cells act like a repair system. The goal of stem cell therapy is to amplify the natural repair system of the body.
In veterinary medicine, stem cells are being used from your pet’s own bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, or fat or are used from another animal of the same species. Dr Pozzi injects the stem cells into the diseased or damaged area, such as a knee joint and relieve pain by suppressing the inflammation and causing growth of new tissue.
