Propel Sports and Orthobiologics
10401 Old Georgetown Road, Suite 104Bethesda, MD 20814
Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Regenerative medicine · Bethesda, MD
Regenerative medicine and orthobiologics
Orthobiologic treatments from your own blood, bone marrow, or fat, placed under ultrasound by fellowship-trained sports medicine physicians.
What is regenerative medicine?
Regenerative medicine is an approach to orthopedic and sports injuries that supports the body's own repair process instead of only masking pain. For tendons, ligaments, and joints that have not recovered with rest and therapy, orthobiologic treatments deliver concentrated platelets, proteins, and supporting cells from your own tissue right where healing has stalled.
At Propel, every regenerative treatment starts with an exam and ultrasound at the first visit, is placed under live ultrasound guidance, and is followed by a structured strength program. Our fellowship-trained physicians serve patients from Bethesda, Montgomery County, Washington, DC, and Northern Virginia.
How orthobiologics work
Your body already knows how to repair tendons and ligaments, but chronic injuries often stall. Orthobiologics concentrate the platelets, growth factors, and supporting cells your tissue uses to recover, then deliver them exactly where the injury is.
Precision matters as much as the preparation. Every orthobiologic injection at Propel is guided by ultrasound, so the treatment reaches the torn fibers, the worn tendon, or the inside of the joint rather than the tissue next to it.
What they can and cannot do
For tendon problems, including small partial tears, orthobiologics can support healing and reduce pain. For arthritis, they may calm inflammation and improve function, which helps many people stay active and delay joint replacement.
They do not rebuild worn cartilage, and results vary from person to person. We explain what a treatment can realistically do for your joint or tendon before you decide.
Why rehab still matters
An injection starts the process; loading the tissue finishes it. Every orthobiologic plan includes a progressive strength program, coordinated with your physical therapist, so the tendon or joint can handle the activity you want back.
Our orthobiologic treatments
- PRPPlatelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)A concentrate of platelets from a small draw of your own blood, placed precisely under ultrasound to calm pain and support tendon and joint healing.
- PRP + ProteinPRP with Protein ConcentratePRP paired with a concentrate of your own plasma proteins, used for select joint conditions.
- BMACBone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC)A concentrate prepared from a small sample of your own bone marrow, drawn and injected in the same visit for joint and tendon problems.
- Lipogems (microfragmented adipose tissue)Lipogems: Microfragmented Adipose Tissue (MFAT)A small amount of your own fat tissue, gently processed and injected to cushion and support an arthritic joint or damaged tendon.
- ProlotherapyProlotherapyInjections, usually of a dextrose solution, that prompt the body's own repair response in ligaments and tendons.
- How orthobiologics workWhat they can and cannot do, and why rehab still matters.
Compare orthobiologic treatments
Propel offers five orthobiologic and regenerative injection options: PRP, PRP with protein concentrate, bone marrow aspirate concentrate, microfragmented adipose tissue, and prolotherapy. They differ in where they come from, how they are prepared, and which problems they suit best, and our physicians recommend one after the exam and ultrasound.
| Treatment | Comes from | How it is prepared | Most often used for | The visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) | A small draw of your own blood | Spun in a centrifuge to concentrate the platelets and growth factors | Tendon pain, partial tendon tears, and mild to moderate arthritis | About an hour in the office; some plans use a short series of injections |
| PRP with Protein Concentrate | Your own blood | PRP combined with a concentrate of your own plasma proteins | Selected joint conditions, such as knee arthritis | A single office visit with a blood draw and guided injection |
| Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC) | Bone marrow drawn from the back of the pelvis under local numbing | Concentrated in the office during the same visit | Larger tendon injuries and joint problems | A longer single visit with numbing at the collection site |
| Lipogems: Microfragmented Adipose Tissue (MFAT) | A small amount of fat, usually from the abdomen or flank | Gently washed and broken into tiny clusters, with no enzymes added | Joint arthritis and larger tendon problems | A single office visit with local numbing at the collection site |
| Prolotherapy | A dextrose (sugar) solution, not your own tissue | Mixed with a local anesthetic | Chronic ligament and tendon pain and ligament laxity | Short visits, usually as a series of injections |
- Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)
- Comes from
- A small draw of your own blood
- Prepared
- Spun in a centrifuge to concentrate the platelets and growth factors
- Used for
- Tendon pain, partial tendon tears, and mild to moderate arthritis
- The visit
- About an hour in the office; some plans use a short series of injections
- PRP with Protein Concentrate
- Comes from
- Your own blood
- Prepared
- PRP combined with a concentrate of your own plasma proteins
- Used for
- Selected joint conditions, such as knee arthritis
- The visit
- A single office visit with a blood draw and guided injection
- Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC)
- Comes from
- Bone marrow drawn from the back of the pelvis under local numbing
- Prepared
- Concentrated in the office during the same visit
- Used for
- Larger tendon injuries and joint problems
- The visit
- A longer single visit with numbing at the collection site
- Lipogems: Microfragmented Adipose Tissue (MFAT)
- Comes from
- A small amount of fat, usually from the abdomen or flank
- Prepared
- Gently washed and broken into tiny clusters, with no enzymes added
- Used for
- Joint arthritis and larger tendon problems
- The visit
- A single office visit with local numbing at the collection site
- Prolotherapy
- Comes from
- A dextrose (sugar) solution, not your own tissue
- Prepared
- Mixed with a local anesthetic
- Used for
- Chronic ligament and tendon pain and ligament laxity
- The visit
- Short visits, usually as a series of injections
How we approach regenerative care
Your own tissue
Treatments are prepared from your blood, bone marrow, or fat, in the office, on the day of your visit.
Placed with ultrasound
Live imaging puts the treatment in the torn fibers, worn tendon, or joint rather than next to it.
Paired with rehab
A progressive loading plan helps the tissue adapt so the result lasts.
Honest expectations
We explain what each option can realistically do, and when surgery is the better path.
Another way to support healing
Conditions we treat with regenerative medicine
- Shoulder Arthritis
- Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy and Partial Tears
- Hip Arthritis
- Knee Arthritis
- Hip Labral Tears and FAI
- Meniscus Tears
- Ankle and Foot Arthritis
- AC Joint Arthritis
- Shoulder Labral Tear
- Subacromial and Subcoracoid Impingement
- Shoulder Instability and Dislocation
- Biceps Tendinopathy (Front of Shoulder)
- Tennis Elbow
- Golfer's Elbow
- Distal Biceps Tendinopathy and Partial Tears
- Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
- Elbow Arthritis
- Little League Elbow
- Elbow UCL Sprain
- Thumb (CMC) Arthritis
- Wrist and Hand Arthritis
- De Quervain's Tenosynovitis
- Gamekeeper's Thumb
- TFCC Tear (Pinky-Side Wrist Pain)
Questions about regenerative medicine and orthobiologics
- What is regenerative medicine?
- Regenerative medicine uses treatments that support the body's own healing, most often orthobiologics prepared from your blood, bone marrow, or fat. In orthopedics it is used for tendon, ligament, and joint problems that have not improved with rest and rehab.
- Can regenerative medicine help me avoid surgery?
- For many tendon injuries and for mild to moderate arthritis, regenerative treatments combined with rehab can ease pain and improve function enough to delay or avoid an operation. When surgery is the better option, we say so and refer you to a trusted surgeon.
- Can orthobiologics fix worn cartilage?
- No. Orthobiologics do not regrow cartilage or reverse arthritis. They can calm pain and inflammation and improve how the joint feels and works, which helps many people stay active.
- Is regenerative medicine covered by insurance?
- Most plans do not cover orthobiologic injections such as PRP, BMAC, or microfragmented adipose tissue (Lipogems). Your visit and diagnostic ultrasound are usually billed to insurance, and we review costs with you before any treatment.
- Which orthobiologic treatment is best?
- There is no single best option. PRP is the most common choice for tendons, while bone marrow concentrate and microfragmented adipose tissue (Lipogems) are sometimes chosen for larger joint or tendon problems. Your physician matches the option to your ultrasound findings and goals.
- Are orthobiologic injections painful?
- We numb the skin and, for bone marrow or fat collection, the collection site. Most people feel pressure and some soreness for a few days afterward, which is expected as the healing response starts.
- Why is ultrasound guidance important for orthobiologics?
- Ultrasound shows the exact spot that needs treatment and the needle in real time, so the orthobiologic reaches the damaged tissue instead of the area around it.
- How soon can I return to activity after an orthobiologic injection?
- Most people protect the area for a short period, then begin a guided rehab program. Return to sport follows milestones in strength and pain rather than a fixed date.
Opening December 1, 2027
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Bethesda, MD 20814