dBusiness news announced that an Atlanta clinic is now beginning to offer PRP injections. Dr Steven Sampson was referenced in the article describing the science behind PRP.

More & more clinics in the US & Abroad are offering biologic based treatments to naturally accelerate the healing process. We have been performing PRP injections for nearly 4 years now, with encouraging results. However hopefully many of these clinics performing PRP procedures will publish literature so that we can all learn together which particular injuries may respond best. Currently many organizations are working on a clinical guidlineson PRP in efforts of creating a standard to adhere by. Unfortunately there is great variability with platelet concentrations, injection technique with & without guidance of ultrasound or x-ray and frequency of treatment & combination with other therapies synvisc/supartz, Traumeel etc.

We are now offering a training seminar to encourage research & proper training in platelet Rich Plasma therapy.

Vitamin D has taken the media & health care community by storm. We’ll maybe that’s a bit dramatic but it may do so in the near future. It is rumored that the current recommendation for daily Vit D consumption is a pre-historic underestimated level that does not apply to our current society. Vitamin D, or more properly defined as D3, is primarily obtained from absorption from the sun. I”m not sure about most, but when it comes to sun exposure I can be overly neurotic when applying gobs of high level spf 15+. However, now some doctors & scientists are sending a mixed message that we are in an epidemic of Vit D deficiency?

Gwyenth Paltrow has shed light on this issue after she was diagnosed with osteopenia (thinning of bone) after a knee bone fracture. Her Vitamin D levels were found to be dramatically low.

Fortunately other than loading up on sun overexposure, Vit D supplementation is readily available & affordable. Even more exciting is that the Vit D levels can be obtained from a simple blood test. Some literature suggests that over 50% of patients who present to a doctors office with complaints of pain are in fact Vit D deficient. Now Vit D is by no means a panacea, but it certainly has been linked to muscle & joint pain, fatigue & decreased mood.

After meeting with the UK olympic team physician here I could not ignore the grwoing patient inquiries about nutrition. Thsu we are putting a great deal of our time & research efforts into understanding teh role of Vit D as well as other notably talked about supplements including Omega 3 from plant extracts & glucosamine & MSM.

Dr Sampson & Dr Aufiero have been travelling around the country to study these supplements which are not regulated by the FDA.

More to follow.

TOBI, The Orthobiologic Institute is pleased to present a PRP training seminar in Los Angeles, CA August 13-14, 2010.  The course will feature various speakers and physicians from around the world are expected to attend. The course will bring together physicians looking to learn ultrasound guided PRP procedures and will also welcome those with extensive PRP experience to collaborate together to advance the field of orthobiologics and regenerative medicine. The course is sponsored by Sonosite and will feature hands on workshops with patient models and live injection demonstrations.

For more info visit www.prpseminar.com

Dr Alan Lazar is a unique Orthopaedist in that he offers a multitude of options for his patients both surgically & non-operatively. Dr Lazar has been doing PRP injections both in the operating room & at his office. Dr Lazar has been creating some innovative protocols for osteoarthritis of the knee. For example initially he may do a micro fracture surgery under arthroscopy (small holes are made into cartilage under a scope to promote bone bleeding & release of stem cells & regeneration of tissue. Afterwards he adds PRP & possible BMAC (bone marrow concentrate off the hip or stem cells from fat. 

Very interesting work. We predict that more & more docs will move from PRP to stem cell based therapies which has more potential for significant pathology. A special thanks to Dr Lazar & his friendly staff for welcoming us & introducing us to his patients. Dr Lazar is authoring a book that highlights non-surgical treatments and is due out soon.

Dr Steven Sampson of the Orthohealing Center in Los Angeles CA was recently interviewed by Ivanhoe medical reporters on Platelet Rich Plasma for arthritis pain.  Ivanhoe is the country’s largest news-gathering organization covering medical breakthroughs, family health and issues important to women. Ivanhoe’s reports are broadcast in 250 markets reaching 80 million U.S. households.

Once again the increased awareness hopefully will create more interest in the community & drive further research which is needed to determine which particular patients & their diagnoses will improve best from this early generation of regenerative medicine. Soon we expect more stories to emerge on adult stem cell therapy in orthopaedics which is starting to see increased use in the US.

We find that particular procedures can be done in the office with ultrasound which cuts down on the cost for the patient rather than having to go to a surgical center. However there are particular spine procedures that are best performed under x-ray guidance (fluoroscopy) vs ultrasound. At least more spine specialists & pain managements are becoming increasingly aware of this available technology.

Dr Steven Sampson of the Orthohealing Center will lecture on PRP & emerging orthobiologic therapies with Dr Chris Marker in Palm Springs, CA at the 20th Annual Practical Applications in Sports Medicine. The Title presentation is PRP and advancements in treating Osteoarthritis. Hundreds of orthopedic health care professionals will gather to learn about emerging concepts in orthopedic care.

Physicians at Cedars-Sinai deliver world-class medicine to the community, and to patients from across the United States and around the world.  Cedars-Sinai physicians and scientists are leaders in basic and clinical research bringing advancements in medicine directly from the laboratory to the bedside.

Dr Sampson is active in Orthopaedic Research & frequently lectures & welcomes internationally renowned doctors to visit the Orthohealing Center to observe cutting-edge non surgical orthopaedic procedures. This appointment will enhance the ability of physicians at the Orthohealing Center to provide state of the art clinical medicine & research.