Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC) Injections

Did you know your own blood and bone marrow contain bioactive proteins that initiate and control the healing process? Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC) is a type of stem cell regenerative therapy sourced from your own bone marrow.

BMAC injections can help the following conditions:

  •    Pain in joints, ligaments or tendons
  •    Arthritis
  •    Joint strengthening
  •    Acute and Chronic inflammation
  •    Ligament and tendon repair
  •    Tendinosis
  •    Muscle Strain
  •    Muscle Fibrosis
  •    Tendinopathy
  •    Enhance surgical outcomes
  •    Low back pain

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This regenerative medicine accelerates your natural healing process by activating your own stem cells and platelets in an injury site. This allows your body to get back to normal without lengthy down time or painful rehabilitation after surgery.

BMAC injections go one step further than other treatments because it is high in mesenchymal and homeopathic stem cells. Clinical studies have shown that the stem cells in BMAC injections can be an effective tool for treating and managing osteoarthritis.

What Is the Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate Process?

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Your orthopaedic injection specialist will start by extracting blood from your bone marrow. Patients lie face-down on an exam table while the injection sites are anesthetized. You may choose to also receive a mild sedative to make the procedure more comfortable. After the local anesthetic has numbed the injection sites, your doctor will use a syringe to harvest blood from bone marrow in your pelvis.

Once the bone marrow is harvested it goes through a centrifugal separation process similar to the one used for platelet-rich plasma injections. The filtered fluid is separated and concentrated into bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC), which contains the homeopathic and mesenchymal stem cells.

The BMAC can be injected into damaged tissues or discs using fluoroscopy or ultrasound guidance. Those stem cells can then multiply and assist with the repair and restoration of damage. The process may be repeated until the desired benefit of pain reduction, joint strengthening and ligament and tendon repair is reached.

Is BMAC Painful?

When the BMAC injection procedure is performed by a skilled orthopaedist with extensive experience in fluoroscopy and injection techniques, most patients experience little discomfort. The injection sites are always thoroughly anesthetized prior to both drawing bone marrow and injecting the concentrated bioactive proteins. 

Some anti-inflammatory medications may interfere with the healing benefits of BMAC injections. Your doctor may advise you avoid taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications for pain management for approximately two weeks after your injections. 

Be sure to follow your doctor’s recommendations for post-injection care.

Are There Risks Involved with BMAC Injections?

The risks involved with BMAC injections are essentially the same as the risks inherent with any other injection or getting your blood drawn. Many patients do experience temporary bruising and discomfort at the bone marrow harvest site, but in general BMAC injections are far less risky than more invasive treatments and surgical procedures.

Will I Undergo Several Rounds of BMAC Injections?

Every Non-Surgical Orthopaedic patient’s treatment plan is unique. Your doctor may recommend multiple BMAC injections, or you could experience effective results with a single injection appointment.

Unlike many other injection regimens, which are usually administered in a series over the course of months, some patients only require a single round of BMAC injection therapy.

Are There People Who Aren’t a Good Candidate for Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate Injections?

Yes – primarily people with compromised bone marrow. There are a number of conditions and treatments that may make it difficult or impossible to make use of a patient’s marrow for stem cell harvesting. Those conditions include:

  •         Leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and active cancers
  •         Past pelvic radiation therapy
  •         Myeloproliferative disorders and myelodysplastic syndromes
  •         Conditions that result in an over or underproduction of red or white blood cells and platelets (thrombocytosis, leukocytosis, cytopenia, etc.)
  •         Certain infections (TB, fungal infections)

BMAC injections do not possess the ability to realign joints or repair some mechanical symptoms. Although many injuries and conditions, like osteoarthritis, respond well to BMAC injections, they aren’t the best treatment option for every patient. Your orthopaedist will need to closely examine the source of your pain to determine whether BMAC injections will be beneficial for your particular needs.

Are You a Good Candidate for Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate Injections?

If you would like to learn more about BMAC stem cell therapy and how it can help resolve your pain, please contact us at 770-421-1420 today.