What is bone marrow aspirate concentrate?
Bone marrow aspiration concentrate (BMAC) is a procedure that involves taking a sample of the liquid part of the soft tissue inside your bones that contains a mixture of white blood cells (including progenitor cells, lymphocytes, and granulocytes) and platelets, as well as growth factors and proteins. BMAC treatment uses a patient’s own bone marrow aspirate for its potential to reduce inflammation and help restore normal function in joints and tendons in some patients.
Some patients with osteoarthritis and chronic tendon injuries may benefit from BMAC, an orthobiologic procedure that uses a patient’s own bone marrow aspirate for its potential to reduce inflammation and help improve pain in some patients. BMAC is an injection treatment option for those who are not interested in surgery or are not a surgical candidate. Most have had prior injections, such as steroid, Visco supplementation or platelet-rich plasma injections. Physical therapy, diet and exercise continue to be the most researched and best treatment options for non-surgical intervention of osteoarthritis.
Who may benefit?
Patients who have mild to moderate knee, hip, shoulder, or ankle osteoarthritis may benefit from BMAC if their pain interferes with their active lifestyle and they’ve already tried standard conventional treatment, like physical therapy or injections. These patients aren’t candidates for surgery or they’re not yet ready for surgery. Not all patients are candidates for BMAC and an outpatient consultation is needed to determine the best personalized treatment options with patients on a case-by-case basis.
Contraindications
Patients who aren’t candidates for BMAC include:
- A patient with an active infection
- A patient with a history of cancer within the past 5 years
- A patient who hasn’t had standard treatments such as physical therapy
Patients need to meet with a doctor as there may be other factors to consider when exploring BMAC treatment. We can help you find the best treatment option based on your health and goals.
What are the risks of BMAC injection?
Most of the reported complications for BMAC were mild, with symptoms including pain, swelling, skin rash or itching at the injection or harvest sites. Few severe complications have been reported, and all the events generally resolved without any intervention. Research conducted over a 9-year span shows similar adverse effects to other joint injection options.
Serious side effects and complications are rare, but include:
- Allergic reaction
- Bleeding
- Nerve damage
- Infection
- Paralysis
