Biologic Therapy

An overview on biologic treatment

Biologic therapy is a component of regenerative medicine, novel techniques that are positively impacting sports medicine. These concepts have the potential to help patients heal faster by repairing damaged tissue and improving joint function at a biologic level. The goal of biologic therapies is to facilitate healing, accelerate recovery, and provide for formation of more normal healing tissue.

What does regenerative medicine treat?

Regenerative medicine is utilized in patients in an attempt to assist the natural healing process or even help the damaged tissue grow back, or regenerate. In certain areas of the body where there is a lack of blood flow, the body is unable to heal properly after a tendon injury, ligament injury or from the progression of arthritis. The areas most commonly afflicted with the inability to heal on their own are inside and around the joints. When an individual experiences an injury to the shoulder, knee or elbow and it cannot heal, biologic treatment may be successful adjuvant at alleviating pain, swelling and weakness of the joint.

Dr. Ahsan and his sports medicine team can treat a variety of orthopaedic injuries of the knee, shoulder, and elbow with regenerative medicine, including:

• Cartilage injuries
• Ligament injuries such including the elbow ulnar collateral ligament
• Tendon injuries such as rotator cuff, patellar tendon, tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow
• Arthritis of the shoulder, knee or elbow

Orthopaedic biologic treatment

Dr. Ahsan performs platelet rich plasma (PRP) and stem cell therapy, both regenerative medicine techniques, to help a patient’s body heal and regenerate tissue following an injury to the joint. The procedures are performed in either the office or the hospital under local anesthesia and are minimally invasive. PRP utilizes specialized components of a patient’s own blood and injects them into the injured area after the platelets are isolated and concentrated. The platelets then work to promote tissue healing and regeneration by releasing valuable growth factors which promote the healing process. Stem cell therapy utilizes a high concentration of stem cells into the injured joint to help a patient’s body heal more quickly.

The science around biologic treatment continues to evolve and the indications for use in the sports medicine field are constantly changing. Due to the new addition of this technology for medical treatment, insurances do not typically provide coverage for costs incurred.

For more resources on biologic treatment, or to learn how regenerative medicine can help treat your sports injury, please contact the office of Dr. Zahab Ahsan located in Naperville, IL.