Bone Marrow Concentrate (BMC) Stem Cell Injection Treatment

What is BMC Therapy?

BMC therapy stands for Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate stem cell therapy. It is a regenerative medical procedure that involves extracting a small amount of bone marrow from a patient’s hip bone, processing it, and injecting it into the area of the body that requires healing. The bone marrow contains stem cells, growth factors, and other healing components that can help repair damaged tissue and promote the growth of new, healthy tissue.

BMC has been proven to have a positive effect on your current condition even if you have been unresponsive to previous treatment.

BMC therapy is used to treat a wide range of conditions, including joint pain, arthritis, sports injuries, and musculoskeletal disorders. It is considered a safe and effective treatment option for many patients who have not experienced relief from traditional treatments such as medication or physical therapy.

Conditions that can Benefit from BMC therapy

BMC therapy is a promising treatment option that has the potential to improve patients’ quality of life and reduce the need for invasive procedures in the long run. Conditions that benefit from BMC therapy are:

1. Joint pain and inflammation:

   Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and other joint injuries can cause quite severe pain. BMC therapy can help reduce this pain and inflammation and improve arthritis.

2. Sports injuries:

   Sports injuries such as ligament tears and muscle strains can take months to heal. BMC therapy can help speed up the healing process for these sports injuries and many others.

3. Orthopedic injuries:

   Bone fractures and cartilage injuries are two of many orthopedic injuries that are very delicate and require careful treatment. BMC therapy can help heal these injuries and speed up the healing process.

How is it done?

BMC therapy is a minimally invasive medical procedure that involves the following steps:

1. Bone Marrow Extraction:

   Dr. Mora will start off by using a local anesthetic to numb the area around the pelvis bone and proceed by using a special needle to extract the bone marrow from the hip bone once it is numb. In some cases patients choose to have this portion of the procedure under light anesthesia. in most cases Dr Mora will provide preoperative such as a Valium and pain medicine to make the procedure as pain and anxiety free as possible.

2. Bone Marrow Processing:

   After the bone marrow blood has been extracted, it is filtered and using highly sophisticated laboratory equipment the stem cells and the growth factors are separated and concentrated. This process takes about 45 minutes.

3. A Gentle Injection:

   Once the concentration is complete, the bone marrow is injected into the joint that requires healing. Before doing so, the indicated problem area will be injected using a thin needle with a local anesthetic. The injections sites are planned before the procedure and are dependent on the pathology. An ultrasound or a fluoroscopy machine is used to assist and help visualize the needle to complete the bone marrow injection. This allows for pinpoint accuracy and minimal discomfort.

The entire procedure takes about 2-3 hours and is performed on an outpatient basis. As the patient, you able to go home the same day and because of this you must have someone accompany you to the procedure to ensure they are available to drive you home safely.

How to prepare for your BMC therapy:

As you get ready for your appointment, follow this checklist as you prepare for your BMC Therapy procedure:

1. Consult with your doctor before and after the procedure. If you are considering BMC therapy, schedule a consult with Dr. Mora during which he will evaluate your medical history, perform a physical exam, and determine if BMC therapy is the best next step. Dr Mora will provide you the best options.
2. Stop Certain Medications: During your first consultation, inform Dr. Mora of any medications you are currently taking. Some medications like blood thinners, aspirin, ibuprofen type of medications can increase the risk of bleeding during the bone marrow extraction procedure. Dr. Mora may recommend you stop taking these medications one week prior to the procedure.
3. Stay Hydrated and optimize nutrition: Drink plenty of water and eat at least one meal before coming in for the procedure. Take a multivitamin, Vit C, Vit D and Collagen one week before the procedure. Water can help improve the quality of the bone marrow and reduce the risk of complications.
4. Avoid Fatty Foods: Avoid foods such as chips, pork, cheese, crackers, ice cream, and French fries for at least 8 hours before your blood draw.
5. Arrange for transportation: Patient must have someone accompany them to and from the BMC therapy appointment as they may have received sedation and anesthesia during the procedure.
6. Wear comfortable clothing. On the day of the procedure, wear comfortable clothing that allows easy access to the hip area.
7. Follow Post Op instructions: Dr. Mora will provide specific aftercare instructions to follow once the procedure is complete. It is important to follow these instructions carefully to ensure the best possible outcomes.

What to do After

After the procedure, patients need to rest and avoid strenuous activity for a few days to allow the body to heal. It is important to remember that even though BMC is a minimally invasive procedure, your body may still react as if it was injured. Getting 8 hours of sleep a night is important for healing. Continue with the same vitamin.

Too much activity might increase bleeding at the pelvis bone marrow aspiration site. Keep a bandage over the area to speed up healing of the area.

Complications are rare. Fevers or redness is not expected. Call the office right away and immediately if you experience fevers (Temp greater than 101.5F) Remember inflammation and swelling are part of the healing process. In most cases there is increased pain for approximately 2-3 days. Keep in mind any discomfort you may feel is temporary and you will fell relief as early as 3 days after your injection.

Recommendations to improve your result:

Depending on the part of the body injected, Dr. Mora might prescribe a sleeve or brace to support and protect the area while you rest and heal. You will be taught home exercises to help you regain strength and mobility. Physical therapy will be ordered. Dr. Mora will give you recommendations of therapist in your area.

1 or 2 Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections may be recommended to stimulate further and faster healing. In most cases PRP is injected 6 weeks after your BMC procedure.

Collage, Vit C, Vit D, Glucosamine and Chondroitin taken daily will help with repair tissue formation.

Metabolic workup

Some patients are at risk of developing early arthritis due to unidentified inflammatory conditions. Dr Mora will recommend a battery of lab tests to check for insulin resistance, inflammation, liver function, elevated uric acid and triglycerides. Dr Mora will refer you to an appropriate specialist to help with any abnormal labs.

Dr Mora and his team want to wish you a speedy and successful recovery. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.

You can follow Dr Mora on Instagram to see some of his results. His website has additional information www.MyOrthoDoc.com.

Dr. Mora’s clinical team

We hope you found this information helpful.  Please let us know if we can be of service.

About Dr. Mora

Dr. Mora is a Board Certified and Fellowship trained Sports Medicine Orthopedic Surgeon as well as a founding partner of the state-of-the-art Restore Orthopedics and Spine Center in Orange County, CA.

His areas of expertise include the latest innovations in surgical and non surgical techniques with a focus on joint saving procedures rather than replacement, when possible.  Specific areas of interest are Sports Trauma; Knee, Elbow, and Shoulder, Arthritis; and Regenerative Medicine.

Dr. Mora’s team can help coordinate out of town and international patients coming in for surgery.

He specializes in:

• Sports Injury Treatment
• Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Reconstruction of the Knee
• Rotator Cuff Tear Repair of the Shoulder
• Arthroscopy of the Elbow
• Arthritis of the Knee
• Chronic PecTear Reconstruction (The PecFlexFix Surgeon)
• Regenerative Medicine: Bone Marrow Cells and PRP Therapy

Dr. Mora’s family heritage is Peruvian and speaks fluent Spanish.

For a consult please call (714) 332-5498

Follow Dr. Mora on Instagram and YouTube

Restore Orthopedics and Spine Center
1120 W. La Veta, #300
Orange CA 92868
Office: 714.332.5498