REGENERATIVE ORTHOPAEDICS: PRP (PLATELET-RICH PLASMA) AND MESENCHYMAL CELLS FROM ADIPOSE TISSUE (LIPOGEMS)

Director: Dr Claudio Zorzi
Head: Dr Daniele Screpis

WHERE

Ospedale Sacro Cuore – Fourth floor

Entrance D F G

CONTACTS
  • Switchboard: (+39) 045.6013111
  • Examination booking: click here
  • Department Secretariat:  (+39) 045.601.3378
    From Monday to Friday 8.00am-1.00pm
    e-mail: ortopedia@sacrocuore.it
    Fax: (+39) 045.601336

REGENERATIVE ORTHOPAEDICS

The Regenerative Orthopaedics uses biological therapies aiming to repair cartilage that coats the main joints (knee, hip, shoulder and ankle) damaged by a wear process (arthrosis) or damaged tendons. The biological treatments most used are the PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) and autologous mesenchymal cells by adipose tissue. The different kinds of cells injected directly into joint are activated by producing a series of important nutrients for cartilage and lesion repair . Furthermore the anti-inflammatory deed acts in a short time on painful symptoms.

The classification of cartilage wear, generally divided into 4 stages, is the parameter through which the specialist chooses the procedure for every specific case. The first wear cases are usually curable with not surgical procedures as rehabilitation and/or physiotherapy, infiltrations of hyaluronic acid (HA) and biological therapies. The last stage, the fourth, is treatable more effectively replacing the joint with a prosthesis. The prosthetic surgery is much less invasive for patient thanks to outstanding technological progress occurred in recent years. The biological therapies aim at postponing as much as possible the prosthesis surgery, keeping the joint function.

The Orthopaedics and Traumatology, directed by Dr Claudio Zorzi, is currently leader of using biological therapies in Orthopaedics with 3500 applications of PRP per year and 1500 with autologous mesenchymal cells of adipose tissue.

PRP- PLATELET-RICH PLASMA

The Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) originates from a normal sample of patient’s venous blood, from which, once centrifuged, a concentrated compound of plasma and platelet is obtained. The compound is injected directly into the joint under X-rays guidance. All is carried out in one session.

Pathologies involved
  • Tendinopathies
    Achilles tendon of foot; patellar tendon of knee; tendons of shoulder rotator cuff
  • First inflammatory stages of cartilage lesions and initial articular arthrosis of knee, hip, ankle and shoulder
The treatment

Normally three infiltrations every 15 days without anesthesia or local anesthetic are carried out.

MESENCHYMAL CELLS OF ADIPOSE TISSUE (LIPOGEMES)

The adipose tissue is rich in mesenchymal cells, a particular kind of stem cells (“primitive”) able to differentiate into various cells as the adipose tissue ones, indeed, but also those of bone and cartilage tissue. The adipose tissue is collected with liposuction and in local anesthesia from abdomen or glutei area. The fat is micro-fragmented by a specific instrument (lipogems) and injected directly into the joints.

Pathologies involved
  • Advanced stages of articular arthrosis
    knee, hip, ankle and shoulder
Treatment

Only one infiltration repeatable. The whole treatment (liposuction and infiltration) takes place in outpatient clinic with administration of local anesthesia. The patient can leave the Hospital after a short observation time.

Therapies under study
  • PRP for the regeneration of knee ligaments by a micro-camera allowing the accurate infiltration of compound without X-rays
  • application of amniotic membrane from donor (source of stem cells) for the treatment of articular disorders
  • use of patient’s cartilage enriched of platelet to regenerate focal cartilage lesions (located at a particular spot).
PATIENT INFORMATION

TO LEARN MORE

THE RIGENERATIVE MEDICINE: THE LIPOGEMSCARTILAGE WEAR: THERAPY WITH MESENCHYMAL CELLS OF ADIPOSE TISSUE