Yesterday I overheard a physician who was performing a nerve block for a pain patient comment that his needle and the subsequent injection of medication was “close enough”. Not perfect but “close enough”. Precision with PRP and stem cell therapies is critical. The appropriate therapeutics need to be injected directly into the area of damage or pain for the best clinical outcome.
At the Centeno-Schultz clinic we use both intermittent x-ray and ultrasound to ensure correct placement of our therapies which include PRP, platelet derived growth factors and mesenchymal stem cells. After needle placement, confirmation of accurate placement is achieved by the injection of contrast ( a dye). The contrast clearly delineates where the solution being injected will end up. If the spread of the contrast is not directly into the area of interest slight changes in needle orientation are made. The needle may be advanced or the direction of the needle tip may be rotated.
Ultrasound employs sound waves that allow fantastic visualization of the tissue and the solution being injected. Below is an image of a needle directly into the area of damage in a rotator cuff. There is no guessing about the location of the injury or the placement of the therapeutic solution. Accuracy is everything.
