Tiger Woods, PGA all-star, has a long and documented history of illnesses and surgeries, starting with a tumor removal all the way back in college.
One area that was especially concerning was his left knee. After a ruptured ACL, he had arthroscopic knee surgery done in April of 2008 to clean out the cartilage. He had undergone operations on that same knee previously in 1994 and 2002.
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the key ligaments that helps stabilise the knee joint. For a golfer, injury to this ligament can mean having to give up the game altogether.
To avoid any further distress to the joint, he bowed out of the PGA tour to get reconstruction surgery done on his knee. While discussing options with his orthopedic surgeons and sports physicians, he found out that the traditional surgical route would require, at minimum, nine months of downtime for reconstruction. So, he decided to give regenerative medicine a try.
How does it work?
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) treatment is a non-surgical procedure. The process wasn’t as widely known then as it is today. It is a fairly simple procedure with minimal downtime.
Blood has three major components—white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. Platelets hold a large number of bio-active proteins and growth factors. These growth factors are the key to tissue regeneration and wound healing.
Around 50cc of blood is drawn, usually from the arm, and placed in a centrifuge to separate the components of blood. Once concentrated, the activated platelets release growth factors, which is what accelerates tissue healing. The platelet rich plasma is then injected directly into the affected area.
The Result
Woods received a total of four injections in his left knee. The results were incredibly positive which is why he decided to opt for the same treatment on his Achilles tendon shortly after.
His performance improved dramatically and within a year, he had won multiple accolades including the Player of the Year, PGA Player of the Year, and succeeded in ranking the top ten over 14 tournaments.
There are now many famous athletes that have opted for PRP treatments—and it’s no surprise why. Rehabilitation after traditional surgeries can take years which takes away valuable time for athletes. On the other hand, PRP therapy is non-surgical and helps athletes recover faster. Tiger Woods played some of his best games right after his regenerative treatment. It is now a widely accepted form of joint treatment in Canada and is used by many orthopedic surgeons, sports physicians and pain management physicians.
Using RegenerVate Medical Injection Therapy, we have helped hundreds of patients in the greater Toronto area recover from injuries such as injection therapy for arthritis.
To book an appointment with one of our expert physicians, call us at 1 855 847-3975 or email us at info@regenervate.com.
