What Is BMAC?
BMAC stands for bone marrow aspirate concentrate. A small amount of your own bone marrow is collected and processed to concentrate the cells and signaling components within it. That concentrated material is then delivered to the area being treated.
Bone marrow contains a mixture of cells, growth factors, proteins, and other components involved in the body's natural repair processes. BMAC uses these naturally occurring components rather than a synthetic medication or foreign substance.
BMAC is not the same as PRP. PRP is made from your blood and concentrates platelets and growth factors. BMAC comes from bone marrow and contains a different mixture of cells and signaling components.
BMAC isn't a guaranteed way to regrow cartilage, repair every tendon tear, or reverse arthritis. It's another legitimate treatment option for appropriately selected patients, and whether it makes sense depends on what's actually causing your pain.
How BMAC Works
How BMAC Supports the Healing Response
Once prepared, the concentrated bone marrow material is delivered to the area being treated:
- Concentrated cells and signaling factors are placed at the treatment site, supporting the body's natural repair response.
- The local healing environment is supported, potentially helping the body's own processes respond to injured or degenerative tissue.
- Your body's own biological material is used, rather than a synthetic drug or foreign substance.
The goal isn't simply to cover up pain. BMAC is intended to support the body's response to the underlying tissue problem.
It is also important to be realistic about what BMAC can do. The treatment cannot reliably reverse advanced arthritis or guarantee that severely damaged tissue will completely regenerate. The condition being treated and the extent of existing damage matter.
What BMAC Can Help With
BMAC may be considered for a range of orthopedic conditions in appropriately selected patients.
Shoulder
- Rotator Cuff Conditions — supporting the healing environment around selected tendon injuries or repairs.
- Shoulder Degeneration — providing another biologic treatment option for appropriately selected degenerative conditions.
Knee
- Knee Arthritis — a regenerative option for selected patients with symptomatic degenerative changes who may not yet need joint replacement.
- Cartilage Conditions — supporting the body's response to selected areas of cartilage or tissue damage.
- Selected Tendon Problems — providing another treatment option for certain chronic or degenerative tendon injuries.
BMAC isn't appropriate for every condition. When a structural problem is unlikely to respond to regenerative treatment, surgery or another established treatment may be the better choice.
Dr. Thon will tell you honestly whether BMAC is a good fit for your specific condition, and if it isn't, what the better option actually is.
The BMAC Procedure
- Bone marrow collection: A small amount of your own bone marrow is collected from an appropriate site.
- Preparation: The bone marrow aspirate is processed to concentrate its cellular and signaling components.
- Treatment: The concentrated material is delivered to the area being treated.
- Recovery: Your recovery and activity restrictions depend on the condition being treated and whether BMAC is being used on its own or as part of another procedure.
The exact technique, collection site, preparation process, and treatment plan depend on your condition. Dr. Thon will explain what your procedure involves before treatment.
Benefits & Realistic Expectations
What BMAC Can Offer
- A treatment using your own biological material, rather than a synthetic drug or foreign substance
- Minimally invasive treatment, without the larger incision and recovery associated with traditional surgery
- Another option before surgery for appropriately selected conditions
- A physician-directed approach, with treatment chosen according to the actual condition being treated
What to Expect Honestly
- Results vary by patient and condition.
- The amount and severity of existing damage is one of the biggest factors in how much improvement you can reasonably expect.
- BMAC is not a guaranteed way to regrow cartilage or completely repair damaged tissue.
- Improvement, when it occurs, is generally gradual rather than immediate.
- BMAC is not a replacement for surgery when surgery is clearly the right treatment.
- The evidence and potential benefits of BMAC vary depending on the orthopedic condition being treated.
The goal is not to promise regeneration where regeneration isn't realistic. It's to determine whether BMAC has a legitimate role in your particular treatment plan.
Why Choose Orchard Orthopedics
You'll always see Dr. Thon personally for your initial evaluation, not a resident or rotating provider. Because he's a practicing orthopedic surgeon, not just a regenerative medicine provider, you're getting an honest recommendation from someone who can offer you every option, from physical therapy and regenerative treatment to surgery.
That matters when you're considering BMAC. If BMAC is appropriate for your condition, Dr. Thon can direct that treatment. If PRP, physical therapy, another nonsurgical option, or surgery is more likely to help, he'll tell you that instead.
The goal isn't to sell you a regenerative treatment. It's to figure out what actually makes sense for your condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Understanding BMAC
BMAC contains a mixture of cells and other components naturally found in bone marrow. It should not be described as a treatment consisting of isolated or purified stem cells.
No. PRP is made from your blood and concentrates platelets and growth factors. BMAC comes from bone marrow and contains a different mixture of cells and signaling components.
Deciding on Treatment
You may be a candidate if you have a condition that could reasonably respond to a biologic treatment and you've either tried appropriate conservative care or want to explore an option before surgery. Dr. Thon will evaluate your condition and determine whether BMAC is appropriate.
Not necessarily. They are different treatments with different biological components. Dr. Thon will recommend the option that best fits your condition rather than automatically choosing one treatment for everyone.
Sometimes a regenerative treatment may be reasonable before surgery, but BMAC cannot replace surgery for every structural problem. If surgery is the more reliable treatment for your condition, Dr. Thon will tell you.
In many cases, yes. If you don't get enough improvement, Dr. Thon can reassess your condition and discuss other treatment options.
BMAC is intended to support a gradual biological response rather than provide immediate pain relief. Your timeline depends on the condition being treated and your individual response.
Access & the Orchard Model
[Answer based on Orchard's actual referral policy.]
Dr. Thon personally evaluates your condition and directs your treatment plan. [Confirm who performs the BMAC procedure itself before publishing this answer.]
Logistics
The time depends on the condition being treated and the specific BMAC procedure. Dr. Thon will explain the process and what to expect before treatment.
There isn't one standard number of treatments for every condition. The recommended treatment plan depends on what is being treated and how you respond.
BMAC injections are. [$PLACEHOLDER] per treatment. We'll go over your full recommended treatment plan, including total cost, at your visit.
Get an honest answer about whether BMAC is right for you, from a surgeon who can offer every option.
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