What is Regenerative Orthopaedics?
Regenerative orthopaedics focuses on treatments that aim to reduce pain, improve joint function and, in some cases, promote healing of damaged tissues. Many of these techniques are minimally invasive and can delay or avoid the need for major surgery.
Common treatments include:
- Steroid injections
- Hyaluronic Acid (HA) injections
- Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections
- These therapies are performed in clinic under clean conditions, often with ultrasound guidance for accuracy.
Why consider regenerative treatments?
These injections are used for:
- Knee or hip osteoarthritis
- Meniscal or cartilage-related knee pain
- Tendon problems (e.g., patellar tendinopathy, gluteal tendinopathy)
- Persistent inflammation or pain not responding to physiotherapy
- Avoiding or delaying surgical intervention
The overall aims are pain relief, improved mobility, faster recovery and enhanced tissue health.
Steroid Injections
Steroid (corticosteroid) injections reduce inflammation inside the joint or around tendons.
How they work
- Reduce inflammation
- Provide short-term pain relief
- Useful during painful flare-ups
Benefits
- Quick onset of relief (24–72 hours)
- Effective for acute inflammatory pain
- Useful to enable physiotherapy
Limitations
- Relief typically lasts 6–12 weeks
- Not a long-term solution for arthritis
- Repeated injections should be limited
- Not suitable if there is an active infection or poorly controlled diabetes
Ideal for
- Painful osteoarthritis flare
- Significant swelling or synovitis
- Night pain disrupting sleep
Hyaluronic Acid (HA) Injections
Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance found in joint fluid that acts as a lubricant and shock absorber. HA injections aim to restore the normal joint environment.
How they work
- Improve joint lubrication
- Reduce friction
- May decrease inflammation
- May improve shock absorption
Benefits
- Pain relief lasting 6–12 months
- Helps improve stiffness
- Particularly helpful for early to moderate arthritis
- No steroid-related side effects
Limitations
- May take 2–6 weeks to achieve full effect
- Not effective for everyone
- Rare temporary flare in symptoms
Ideal for
- Mild to moderate osteoarthritis
- Younger or active patients wishing to delay surgery
- Patients wanting a non-steroid option
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections
Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance found in joint fluid that acts as a lubricant and shock absorber.
HA injections aim to restore the normal joint environment.
How it works
- Growth factors stimulate tissue repair
- May improve cartilage health
- Reduces inflammation in a biological (non-drug) way
Benefits
- Drug-free, uses your own cells
- Often provides longer-lasting pain relief than steroid or HA
- Evidence supports its use in knee osteoarthritis and some tendon injuries
- May delay the need for joint replacement surgery
Limitations
- Takes time to work — improvement commonly seen at 6–12 weeks
- A course of 2–3 injections is usually recommended
- Mild soreness for 24–48 hours after injection
- Not suitable for patients on certain blood-thinners
Ideal for
- TMild to moderate osteoarthritis
- Younger active patients
- Knee pain not responding to physiotherapy
- Tendon injuries (e.g., patella, Achilles, gluteal)
- Those wanting a biologic, non-steroid option
What to Expect During the Procedure
- Most injections take 10–15 minutes
- Often done with ultrasound guidance for precision
- Mild discomfort during the injection
- You can usually walk out immediately afterwards
- Avoid heavy exercise for 48 hours
- Recovery Times Vary:
- Steroid: relief within days
- HA: gradual improvement over weeks
- PRP: improvement over several weeks with sustained benefit
recovery times
- Steroid: relief within days
- HA: gradual improvement over weeks
- PRP: improvement over several weeks with sustained benefit
Post-Treatment Advice
- Expect mild stiffness or swelling for 24–48 hours
- Ice and simple analgesia may help
- Avoid high-impact activity for 48–72 hours
- Continue physiotherapy once comfortable
Risks and Complications
These treatments are generally very safe. Possible complications include:
- Temporary flare-up of pain
- Local swelling or bruising
- Infection (very rare)
- Allergic reaction (rare, more relevant to HA)
- PRP: temporary increase in inflammation
All risks and benefits will be discussed before treatment.
Choosing the Right Treatment
| Treatment | Best for | Duration of relief | Onset |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Steroid |
Acute inflammation or flare |
6–12 weeks |
Fast (1–3 days) |
|
HA |
Mild–moderate OA, stiffness |
6–12 months |
Gradual (2–6 weeks) |
|
PRP |
OA, tendon injuries, younger active patients |
Many months to 1+ year |
Slow (6–12 weeks) |
Treatments can be combined in your long-term care plan.