DON’T WANT SURGERY?
Orthobiologic Treatment Options
Treatments
Dr. Sean Hassinger and Lindsey Carmichael PA-C offer diverse orthobiologic treatment options, including platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and bone marrow concentrate (BMC) injections. With years of surgical experience, Dr. Hassinger has applied his knowledge of orthobiologic treatments to ensure quicker healing for his patients. Dr. Hassinger is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who has worked with (and trained) Lindsey Carmichael, PA-C.
Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP)
What is PRP?
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is blood plasma that has been enriched with platelets. As a concentrated source of autologous platelets, PRP contains several different growth factors and other cytokines that stimulate healing of bone and soft tissue. Platelets are a specialized type of blood cell involved in injury healing. Platelets also contain large reservoirs of natural growth factors that are essential for the cell recruitment and multiplication involved in wound healing. The normal concentration of platelets circulating in our blood is much lower than the highly concentrated injection of PRP in our clinic.
PRP is made in the office using a centrifuge that separates the blood components. This allows us to discard unwanted elements and keep platelets, growth factors, cytokines, and plasma that collectively make up the PRP. The centrifuge takes less than 10 minutes to concentrate platelets but you can expect about a 30-minute appointment in total.
Bone Marrow Concentrate (BMC)
What is BMC?
We provide cellular therapy derived from your own body in order to minimize the risk of allergic reaction or disease transmission. We can get your own cells from bone marrow aspiration in the office, with minimal discomfort. The primary source of bone marrow we use is the posterior iliac crest (back of your pelvis). The bone marrow regenerates, and multiple procedures can be done over time. After drawing out the bone marrow, the stem cells are then concentrated to create bone marrow concentrate (BMC) which is then injected into the treatment area within the same visit. This BMC concentrating process takes approximately 20 minutes, but you should expect the visit to last around 60 minutes.
Cost
Will My Insurance Cover This?
Maybe! Some insurances are starting to cover the cost of orthobiologic injections.
For more information or to schedule a consultation, please call our office at (208) 321-4000.
Providers
Dr. Sean Hassinger
Dr. Sean Hassinger has spent over 15 years working as an orthopedic surgeon specializing in shoulder and knee arthroscopic surgery including ligament reconstruction, rotator cuff repair, meniscus repair, and cartilage transplantation. He also has extensive knowledge and experience in knee, hip, and shoulder joint replacement. Dr. Hassinger has combined his years of surgical experience with his orthobiologics clinic and has reformed his practice to help his patients avoid surgery if necessary. He has become an expert in the field of orthobiologic injections such as PRP and BMC. Dr. Hassinger is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Dr. Hassinger enjoys outdoor sports and activities such as mountain biking, backcountry skiing, and helping to coach his son’s baseball teams.
Lindsey Carmichael, PA-C
Lindsey has spent nearly the last decade working alongside Dr. Hassinger in orthopedic medicine, both in the operating room and in the clinic. Lindsey's orthopedic experience includes clinical evaluations, fracture care, casting and splinting, orthobiologic injections, and surgical assisting. Lindsey has helped transition Dr. Hassinger’s practice toward a focus on orthobiologics and non-surgical management of orthopedic conditions.
Lindsey also enjoys the outdoors such as camping, fishing, mountain biking, and spending time with her family.
Testimonials
“I am eager to relay my recent experience with Dr. Hassinger and Lindsey Carmichael. I have been experiencing knee pain since sustaining a bone bruise in a bike race related crash in 2017. This pain consistently limited my ability to ride my bike, I do general exercise and work normally. I am fairly active in my job as a physical therapist and have had considerable trouble with squatting or demonstrating exercises. I was excited to learn that Dr. Hassinger was changing his practice to include interventional injections such as platelet rich plasma (PRP). I was hesitant to undergo another cortisone injection as the risk cartilage damage continues to increase with more injections, so PRP was perfect for me. The injection procedure was pretty simple. They drew blood from my arm, then spun it down in a centrifuge to separate the platelets. The platelets were then injected into my knee. Dr. Hassinger numbed my knee before the injection and I felt almost no discomfort. Since the injection, my knee pain decreased significantly. It now only has a mild ache after skiing or cycling. The pre-injection pain was continuously moderate, with increases during and after activity. Thanks a ton for your work. I would highly recommend this treatment for athletes or anyone having chronic musculoskeletal issues.”
— Ron, Boise, ID
“Dr. Sean Hassinger has been a great advocate for options to get rid of the pain in my knee. I started having increased knee pain last summer after a backpacking trip. It was at a point that I could barely walk. Cortisone injections gave me good short term relief. Patella femoral arthritis, meniscal tear and mild medial and lateral compartment degenerative joint disease did not indicate the need for surgery at this time. Dr. Hassinger recommended I try PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) injections. I had my first injection 12/28/18. After about 6 weeks, I felt the pain was 80% improved. I had a second injection 2/8/19, and a week later was back cross country skiing and starting back to skate skiing. I can run up and down a flight of stairs without issues, and this Fall I could not do this without support of railings. I am looking forward to getting back to hiking in the foothills and ready to make plans for our next backpack trip! Thank you Dr. Hassinger! I could not be more pleased that I had this less invasive option to get back to the activities and lifestyle of my choosing!! I can’t thank you enough!!”