Before your joint problem becomes a surgery candidate, there are newer options designed to help your body heal itself. BONE DRs Orthopedic Care in Austin, TX offers regenerative medicine approaches — including platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections and viscosupplementation — for patients with cartilage damage, arthritis, tendon injuries, and ligament strains. These treatments are performed by our orthopedic specialists and are designed to reduce pain and potentially slow or halt progression of degenerative joint disease.
What Is Regenerative Medicine — And Who Is It For?
Understanding PRP and Viscosupplementation
Regenerative medicine therapies like PRP have been studied extensively in orthopedic research, and show promise for treating conditions that haven't responded to standard conservative care. PRP uses your own blood platelets to create a concentrated solution that reduces inflammation and may stimulate the body's natural healing response. Viscosupplementation (gel injections) adds lubrication to arthritic joints.
Ideal Candidates for Regenerative Treatment
Patients in Austin with early-to-moderate arthritis who haven't found relief with PT alone. Those with cartilage damage who want to avoid surgery, at least for now. Athletes with tendon or ligament injuries who want to explore alternatives to surgery. People managing chronic joint pain who want to reduce their reliance on medication. If you're dealing with knee arthritis specifically, regenerative approaches often work well as a middle ground between rest and replacement.
When Regenerative Medicine Might Not Be the Answer
Patients with severe, bone-on-bone arthritis — where the joint surface is completely gone — usually get better long-term outcomes from joint replacement. Complete ligament or tendon ruptures often require surgical repair. Patients with advanced structural damage benefit more from targeted surgery than from regenerative injections.
Pain Relief and Expected Outcomes
What Regenerative Medicine Can Do
Patients often experience reduced inflammation, decreased pain with activity, and improved range of motion. Results develop over weeks and continue improving over months. Some patients get 6–12 months of relief per treatment. Others get even longer-lasting improvement or, in some cases, sustained improvement after a single course.
How Long Results Last
Results vary widely. Some patients at our Austin office get relief lasting 6–8 months, others get longer-lasting results, and some experience sustained improvement. A subset of patients (research suggests around 30–40%) get excellent long-term benefit from a single course of PRP. Many patients can repeat the treatment if symptoms return, allowing them to delay or avoid surgery.
Not a Guarantee, But Worth Exploring
Regenerative medicine isn't a cure-all. It works best in younger patients, those with less advanced arthritis, and people willing to pair injections with physical therapy and activity modification. Set realistic expectations: the goal is meaningful pain reduction and improved function, not necessarily a complete reversal of arthritis.
What the Treatment and Recovery Look Like
PRP Injection Procedure
A small amount of blood is drawn (like a lab test), spun down to concentrate the platelets, and injected into the damaged joint or tissue. The whole process takes about 30 minutes. There's no downtime — you walk out and resume normal daily activities. Some soreness or mild swelling at the injection site for 24–48 hours is normal and typically manageable with ice and over-the-counter pain relief.
Viscosupplementation Series
Three weekly injections (or one single-dose injection depending on the product) are injected directly into the joint. Each injection takes about 10 minutes. Mild soreness for 24–48 hours after each shot is common. Full benefit develops over 2–4 weeks as the gel cushions the joint and reduces friction.
Activity After Treatment
You can return to normal daily activities immediately after PRP or viscosupplementation injections. Some patients and their Austin-area doctors recommend 24–48 hours of rest before jumping back into strenuous activity, but there's no medical reason you can't resume work or light activities right away.
