It is used either when other forms of prolotherapy have less healing response, or as a first procedure when a patient’s condition is severe. The two main tissue sources used stem-cell rich therapy are either adipose or bone marrow.
Like other forms of prolotherapy, both chronic and acute problems can be treated.

The Choice of Biocellular Formula: Adipose vs Bone Marrow:

The choice of which stem-cell source to use in bio cellular prolotherapy depends on several factors, including the condition being treated, the age of the patient, the physician’s background and training, and the patient’s preference. While adipose and bone marrow formulas have demonstrated similar treatment capabilities, there does appear to be functional differences between them. (bone marrow may be preferred and more efficient for osteochondral (bone and cartilage) regeneration. However, adipose has shown an excellent ability to stimulate cartilage regeneration,) However, adipose is considered by some researchers to be better choice for ligament, tendon, and muscle repair (connective tissue injury), especially in certain joints.

In many cases, prior to doing bio cellular treatment, we will recommend one or two dextrose and/or PRP treatments to prime the area and see how much improvement can be obtained, and then advance to bio cellular if needed. The decision of which formula to use must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, considering the problem to be addressed, the particular injury site, and the person’s medical history—in addition to the individual’s age and health status. Only after a thorough evaluation by a physician trained in these techniques, and an extensive discussion of a patient’s needs and expectations, can the best decision be made to determine the optimal course of treatment.

Adipose & PRP: Better Together:

Studies have shown that using PRP and adipose tissue together “significantly improves” regeneration versus using adipose cells alone. When adipose is used as the stem-cell source, PRP is thus typically used at the same time since this combination has been shown to work synergistically in multiple studies. In one study, using adipose-derived cells with PRP versus PRP alone on Achilles tendon injuries showed tendon strength for the adipose/platelet-rich plasma group to be greater, with a statistically higher production of collagen and growth factors. Therefore, typically, adipose and PRP are done together during a bio cellular procedure.