Sports & Athletic Injury
Medical Review: Dr. Gerald Mastaw, MD – Board-Certified Physician
Last Updated: October 2025
A Closer Look at Sports & Athletic Injuries
Staying active keeps the body strong, but when training intensity, fatigue, or repetitive motion exceed the body’s limits, injury can occur.
Sports and exercise injuries may happen suddenly (acute) or develop gradually over time (chronic), especially when tissues don’t have enough time to fully recover.
Common Sports Injuries Include:
- Sprains and strains: affecting muscles, ligaments, or tendons
- Tendonitis: inflammation in tendons like the Achilles, elbow, or shoulder
- Meniscus tears in the knee
- Rotator cuff injuries in the shoulder
- Cartilage wear and joint degeneration
- Overuse injuries: from repetitive stress or poor biomechanics
These conditions often cause pain, stiffness, swelling, or reduced mobility, making it difficult to return to training or competition.
Traditional Recovery Options
Most athletes begin with conservative care focused on symptom relief and gradual rehabilitation.
While these methods are effective for many, recovery can be slow, and symptoms sometimes recur once activity resumes.
Standard Treatments May Include:
- Rest and activity modification to prevent further strain
- Physical therapy to rebuild strength and stability
- Ice, heat, and compression to reduce swelling
- Anti-inflammatory medications for temporary symptom control
- Corticosteroid injections for short-term pain relief
- Surgical repair for severe or complete tears
Though these can support recovery, they don’t always repair damaged tissue or address the root cause of the injury.
Regenerative Medicine: A New Approach for Active Lifestyles
Regenerative medicine supports the body’s own ability to heal and restore function, rather than simply managing pain.
For athletes and active individuals, this means potentially faster recovery, less inflammation, and improved long-term outcomes.
Umbilical Cord Tissue–Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (UCT-MSCs)
These youthful, versatile cells are being studied for their ability to:
- Reduce inflammation in injured tissues
- Support repair of tendons, ligaments, and cartilage
- Release growth factors that stimulate natural healing
- Improve mobility and shorten recovery time
- Reduce chronic pain and stiffness
This approach may help athletes return to activity sooner, without the extended downtime or risks of surgery.
Latest Clinical Studies: Regenerative Medicine for Sports Injuries
2025 – Placenta-Derived MSCs for Knee Osteoarthritis
Title: Effectiveness and Safety of Multiple Injections of Human Placenta-Derived MSCs for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Phase I Trial
Journal: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders – Full Text
Summary:
Patients received three injections of placenta-derived MSCs combined with hyaluronic acid for moderate knee arthritis.
After one year, treated patients had significantly less pain and better knee mobility than those given hyaluronic acid alone.
The therapy was safe, lowered inflammation markers, and provided sustained symptom relief—demonstrating long-term benefit for sports-related knee degeneration.
2021 – UC-MSC Implant vs. Microfracture Surgery for Cartilage Defects
Title: Allogeneic Umbilical Cord Blood-Derived MSC Implantation Versus Microfracture for Large Cartilage Defects: 5-Year Follow-Up
Journal: The American Journal of Sports Medicine – Full Text
Summary:
In a multicenter randomized trial, 97.7% of patients who received the MSC implant showed improved cartilage repair at 48 weeks—compared to 71.7% in the microfracture group.
At 3–5 years, MSC-treated patients had better pain control, superior joint function, and equal safety.
This study shows stem cell therapy may outperform traditional surgical repair for complex cartilage injuries.
2020 – MSC Therapy for Tendon and Ligament Injuries
Title: Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Treatment of Tendon and Ligament Injuries – Clinical Evidence
Journal: Stem Cell Research & Therapy – Full Text
Summary:
A systematic review of clinical cases found improved healing and structural repair in chronic tendon and ligament injuries (including ACL and rotator cuff tears) treated with MSCs.
Early trials show enhanced tissue regeneration and better function, suggesting MSC therapy may be a viable non-surgical option for athletes with stubborn soft-tissue injuries.
2018 – Repeated UC-MSC Injections for Knee Arthritis
Title: Umbilical Cord–Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells for Knee Osteoarthritis: Repeated Dosing vs. Single Dose
Journal: Stem Cells Translational Medicine – Full Text
Summary:
Patients who received two UC-MSC injections (baseline + 6 months) had greater long-term pain and function improvement at one year than those given a single dose or hyaluronic acid.
No serious adverse effects occurred, confirming safety and enhanced efficacy with repeated dosing.
2019 – PRP vs. Steroid for Tennis Elbow
Title: Comparison of Platelet-Rich Plasma and Corticosteroids in Lateral Epicondylitis: Meta-Analysis of RCTs
Journal: PubMed – Full Text
Summary:
Across 500+ patients in seven trials, PRP injections led to significantly better pain relief and arm function at 6 months than steroid injections.
Steroids helped briefly but faded quickly, while PRP produced lasting recovery and no additional risks, making it a preferred choice for long-term tendon healing.
Is Regenerative Medicine Right for You?
You might consider regenerative therapy if you:
- Have a sports injury that hasn’t healed fully with standard treatments
- Want to explore non-surgical recovery or avoid downtime
- Experience chronic pain or inflammation that limits performance
- Want to treat the cause, not just the symptoms
At Stemedix, our regenerative programs combine advanced biologics with expert clinical oversight and rehabilitation planning—helping athletes and active adults recover naturally and return stronger.
Medical Disclaimer
This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
Stem cell and PRP therapies for orthopedic and sports injuries are investigational and not FDA-approved for these uses.
Always consult a licensed healthcare professional to determine whether regenerative treatment is appropriate for you.
References
- Lee J. et al. Effectiveness of Placenta-Derived MSCs in Knee Osteoarthritis. BMC Musculoskelet Disord., 2025. Full Text
- Park Y. et al. UC-MSC Implantation vs. Microfracture for Cartilage Defects. Am J Sports Med., 2021. Full Text
- Chen C. et al. MSC Therapy for Tendon and Ligament Injuries. Stem Cell Res Ther., 2020. Full Text
- Freitag J. et al. Repeated UC-MSC Dosing Superior to Single Dose in Knee OA. Stem Cells Transl Med., 2018. Full Text
- Mishra A. et al. PRP vs. Corticosteroid for Lateral Epicondylitis. PubMed., 2019. Full Text
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