Musculoskeletal Injuries and Regenerative Medicine in the Elderly Patient

Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2017 Nov;28(4):777-794. doi: 10.1016/j.pmr.2017.06.010.

Abstract

Regenerative medicine has gained increasing popularity in its clinical applications, particularly in the field of musculoskeletal medicine. Regenerative medicine, a broad term, can be thought of as a particular medical strategy that strives to rebuild and restore diseased tissue to normal physiologic tissue baseline. Simply put, regenerative strategies augment the body's innate physiology to heal pathologic processes. This article focuses on specific regenerative strategies and the uses of them for common pathologies in the aging adult, including platelet-rich plasma, mesenchymal stem cells, viscosupplementation, and prolotherapy.

Keywords: Osteoarthritis; Platelet-rich plasma; Prolotherapy; Regenerative medicine; Stem cell therapy.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aging / physiology*
  • Animals
  • Humans
  • Musculoskeletal Diseases / physiopathology*
  • Musculoskeletal Diseases / therapy*
  • Musculoskeletal System / injuries*
  • Musculoskeletal System / physiopathology*
  • Regeneration / physiology*