Oct 5, 2017Call for Caution
With elite athletes like Rafael Nadal and Cristiano Ronaldo using stem cell therapy and Kobe Bryant and Tiger Woods having received platelet-rich plasma injections for knee injuries, regenerative medicine treatments are making headlines. But are they a good option for youth and adolescent athletes?
Authors of a new study published in the American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM)Current Sports Medicine Reports are not so sure, advising caution before allowing those under 18 to undergo regenerative therapy. Titled “Not Missing the Future: A Call to Action for Investigating the Role of Regenerative Medicine Therapies in Pediatric/Adolescent Sports Injuries,” lead author Thomas Best, MD, PhD, Professor of Orthopedics, Family Medicine, Biomedical Engineering, and Kinesiology at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine, says more research is needed before allowing young athletes to jump on the bandwagon.
We still don’t have good evidence that the regenerative medicine therapies work [for children]
