28 Jul Frontiers in Regenerative Medicine: A Podcast
On the Spectrum of Health Podcast, Dr. Christine Schaffner talked with Dr. Stephen Roman, founder of the RegeneSpine Regenerative Spine and Joint Institute, about his recent publication “Frontiers in Safety and Efficacy on the Use of Orthobiologics”.
The Cortisone Problem
Orthobiologics, a field built on healing the body rather than sedating its inflammation. Cortisone has been the default answer for joint pain for generations. But the science underneath that habit has quietly shifted. Cortisone works fast, and it’s still useful in select cases. But newer research tells a more complicated story. A 2017 JAMA study linked repeated injections to worsening arthritis. A 2025 radiology study found even one shot can speed up joint degeneration. Tendon strain, lower bone density, and weakened immunity have also come up in the research.
Building on a Strong Foundation
Dr. Roman built his foundation in conventional pain management at Emory, a background that gives him a rare vantage point on how orthopedic care has evolved. As regenerative research matured, he saw an opportunity to offer patients more options, not just injections and surgery, but treatments that work with the body’s own healing systems. That search led him to found the RegeneSpine Regenerative Spine and Joint Institute.
A Different Approach
Orthobiologics uses the body’s own materials, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and cellular therapies from bone marrow or fat, to restore a joint’s environment instead of masking symptoms.
Highlights from the episode:
- PRP delivers concentrated growth factors to low-circulation areas like tendons and discs
- The Discseel procedure uses fibrin to repair tears that cause chronic back pain
- Level one evidence now supports PRP for knee osteoarthritis and tennis elbow
- One study found cellular disc injections beat spinal fusion outcomes, at a fraction of the cost
Chronic pain doesn’t always mean surgery is the only road left. Sometimes the body just needs the right signal to heal itself, and orthobiologics is giving doctors a new way to send it.