PROCEDURE TIMELINE

BAM Treatment Timeline

Start

Pre-Operative Appointment
MRI & X-ray
Clinical Evaluation

Day 1

Microdrilling Surgery
First injection of BMAC + HA (BAM-12)
Application of BMAC +HA+ Fibrin gel (BAM-1)

1-5 Weeks 

One injection per week for 5 weeks (BAM-12)
Physical therapy 4-5 times per week
CPM use daily
MRI, X-ray and clinical evaluation at last injection visit

Month 4

One injection per week for 3 weeks* (BAM-12)
MRI & X-ray
Clinical Evaluation
Physical therapy 2 times per week

Month 12

One injection per week for 3 weeks* (BAM-12)
MRI & X-ray
Clinical Evaluation
Resume all activity as tolerated

Month 18

MRI & X-ray
Clinical Evaluation
*Injections at 4 months and 1 year are optional but strongly recommended for BAM-12 patients.

Microdrilling Surgery – outpatient arthroscopic surgery where small holes are drilled in the bone at the location of cartilage damage. This procedure is a marrow stimulating technique performed to provide an environment for cartilage healing by mobilizing local bone marrow- derived stem cells to the site of the cartilage damage. 

Injections of BMAC + HA –  In BAM -12, these injections augment the microdrilling surgery. BMAC (Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate) contains mesenchymal stem cells that are capable of differentiating into cartilage cells. Fresh bone marrow is taken from the hip bone at the time of each injection. HA (Hyaluronic Acid) is a building block of good normal cartilage and inhibits the breakdown of cartilage cells. These 2 components are injected intrarticularly into the knee at each injection visit.  

Application of BMAC +HA+ Fibrin gel - In BAM-1, a cell-rich gel is applied to the microdrilled cartilage lesions. BMAC (Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate) contains mesenchymal stem cells that are capable of differentiating into cartilage cells. Fresh bone marrow is taken from the hip bone during surgery to produce BMAC. HA (Hyaluronic Acid) is a building block of good normal cartilage and inhibits the breakdown of cartilage cells. The addition of fibrin creates a gel that can be applied to the lesions. 

Physical Therapy – All patients will follow a detailed physical therapy protocol tailored to your needs. 

CPM – Continuous Passive Motion Machine is used for 2 hours per day for 4 weeks after surgery. Motion helps the stem cells differentiate into cartilage cells instead of bone cells.

Procedure or Requirement Questions?

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