2023 Specialty Day Access Pass-Biologics for Nonoperative Treatment of Osteoarthritis

Biologics for Nonoperative Treatment of Osteoarthritis

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Dr. Scott, an orthopedic surgeon, discusses the challenges of non-operative osteoarthritis (OA) treatment, emphasizing the disease's complexity and lack of curative options. OA affects 65 million Americans, with conventional treatments mainly palliative. Biologics, particularly platelet-rich plasma (PRP), show the most promise over steroids and hyaluronic acid, especially in less severe cases. However, regulatory ambiguities and financial incentives create a "Wild West" environment. Dr. Scott favors using PRP cautiously, avoiding unproven therapies like bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) outside surgery, and warns about infection risks after recent injections before joint replacement. He stresses understanding disease, treatments, regulations, and personal limits.

Asset Caption

William D. Bugbee, M.D.

Keywords

Osteoarthritis

Platelet-rich plasma

Non-operative treatment

Biologics

Joint replacement risks