Autologous orthobiologic therapy
A concentrate made from your own bone marrow, placed with image guidance in the parts of the joint linked to pain and wear.
A VARIETY OF USES
All treatments are individualized after clinical evaluation and imaging review. The conditions below are most commonly evaluated for autologous orthobiologic therapy at Boulder Biologics.
Moderate-to-severe with subchondral involvement.
MRI-confirmed marrow edema in periarticular bone.
Pre-collapse, where biologic intervention may help.
Persistent radiographic non-healing past expectation.
High-grade partial tears, recalcitrant tendinopathy.
Partial tears, chronic laxity where surgery isn't indicated.
Focal chondral defects, post-meniscectomy lesions.
Whole-body conditions such as Long COVID and lasting effects of brain injury, considered case by case as investigational care.
What it is
Bone marrow cellular therapy uses a minimally processed concentrate made from your own bone marrow. The aim is to support your body's own repair process in long-standing joint, tendon, and bone injuries.
The concentrate contains mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), a type of connective-tissue cell, along with platelets, growth factors, and other signaling molecules. These may influence inflammation, the growth of small new blood vessels, and the gradual rebuilding of tissue.
The cells work mainly through signaling and by adjusting inflammation, which can support your body's own repair. They do not replace damaged tissue with new cells. That difference also shapes how the FDA classifies the treatment.
No stem cell or cellular therapy is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of these conditions. The approaches described on this page are experimental, grounded in evolving translational and early clinical research, and offered only following comprehensive evaluation and informed consent.
References to "stem cells" on this page reflect cellular populations contained within autologous bone marrow–derived biologic material, not manufactured or expanded stem cell products.
Autologous bone marrow–derived cellular therapy is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a drug or biologic for the treatment of specific musculoskeletal or systemic conditions. Clinical use is based on physician judgment, current scientific evidence, and individualized patient evaluation. No claims are made regarding guaranteed outcomes, tissue regeneration, or disease modification.
All biologic material is autologous (your own), patient-derived, and processed within the same procedural window. No expanded cell lines, donor cells, or research-only compounds.
Consistent with FDA guidance, we avoid unsupported claims regarding "stem cell" replacement or regeneration.
How the procedure works
No hospital stay. No general anesthesia. Patients stay awake throughout. An oral sedative is available if you ask for it ahead of time.
Intake and venous blood collection for autologous PRP, prepared in parallel.
Bone marrow aspirate from the PSIS under image guidance.
Density-gradient centrifugation concentrates the MSC-containing biologic fraction.
Ultrasound and/or fluoroscopic placement in joint space, subchondral bone, or target tissue.
Outpatient recovery and monitoring prior to going home.
Mechanism
In moderate to severe arthritis, the problem involves both the joint space and the layer of bone just beneath the cartilage (the subchondral bone). Researchers increasingly see changes in that bone as one source of pain and joint wear.
Dr. Glowney uses real-time imaging to place the concentrate in both areas: the joint space and the bone beneath the cartilage.
Hernigou and colleagues have published long-term follow-up of bone marrow concentrate injected into the bone beneath the cartilage in knee osteoarthritis (reference 1 below).
Schematic, joint anatomy and dual-compartment delivery. Not to scale; clinical procedure varies by joint and indication.
OUR BIOLOGICS LAB
Our lab is inside the clinic, so your sample never leaves the building. Every preparation is processed using standardized protocols designed to preserve viability and sterility.
MSC culture · phase-contrast. Bone marrow stromal cells grown briefly in our lab for research and quality checks. The cells used in treatment are processed the same day and are never grown in culture.
More about our lab is on the Our Clinic page.
Inside our laboratory
Every preparation goes through the same validated process before it reaches a patient.
QC · 01
Our bone marrow preparation protocol is validated with flow cytometry, a lab test that identifies cells by the proteins on their surface. The test confirms the expected stromal-cell markers, cell count, and share of living cells.
CD73+ / CD90+ / CD105+ confirmation
CD34− / CD45− exclusion
QC · 02
Material is processed in an ISO 5 biosafety cabinet and moves through closed-system, single-use processing kits. The sample never touches open lab air.
ISO 5 biosafety cabinet / single-use closed-system kits / no open-air exposure
QC · 03
Our laboratory and procedure spaces are built and audited to cleanroom standards.
Particle counts / environmental monitoring / validated cleaning procedures
We measure each preparation so we can tell you exactly what we're giving you.
Talking it through
Cellular therapy is a bigger procedure than PRP, with a longer recovery. A consultation is where we figure it out together, your history, your imaging, and the right path forward for you.
Frequently asked
Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are cells found in bone marrow and other connective tissues. Following the International Society for Cellular Therapy (reference 4 below), we call them stromal cells, not stem cells. They seem to work mainly through signaling, by adjusting inflammation and the conditions around an injury. They do not directly replace damaged tissue.
No. We don't offer commercially marketed "stem cell injections" from unregulated sources. We use your own bone marrow, processed in our on-site lab during the same visit.
Aspiration is performed in-clinic under local anesthesia and image guidance from the iliac crest. Most patients report moderate pressure during the procedure and mild soreness for 24 to 72 hours afterward.
Most often: moderate to severe osteoarthritis that involves the bone beneath the cartilage, avascular necrosis (bone damage from poor blood supply), and tendon or ligament problems that haven't improved with other care. None of these uses is FDA approved. We also consider some whole-body conditions, such as Long COVID and lasting effects of brain injury, case by case as investigational care.
Most insurance plans do not currently cover autologous biologic cellular therapy. We discuss the cost with you when you book your service and supply documentation for HSA/FSA reimbursement where applicable.
Selected references
A starting point for the evidence base on autologous, bone-marrow–derived cellular therapy in orthopedics. Full PDFs available at consultation.
Related therapies
Schedule a call
Dr. Glowney reviews your imaging, history, and prior treatments, and tells you honestly whether cellular therapy fits your case or whether another path makes more sense.
720-550-6175