BMAC Spine and Joint
When joint pain stops responding to physical therapy, medication and steroid shots, the next conversation is usually about surgery. It does not have to be. Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate, or BMAC, is a regenerative treatment that uses concentrated cells from your own bone marrow to support repair in worn joints and damaged spinal structures. It is performed as an outpatient procedure, with no implants and no surgical incision.
Your bone marrow holds one of the richest reserves of repair cells and signalling proteins in the body. At Le Rêve, we draw a small sample, concentrate it, and place it precisely where your tissue needs it, guided by live imaging so nothing is left to guesswork.
- Uses your own cells
- No surgery required
- Data-Driven InsightsaImage guided precision
- Omni-channel Integration
- Outpatient procedure
- Steroid free approach
- Board certified physicians
Conditions We Treat With BMAC
BMAC is most often used where cartilage, discs or tendons have degenerated and blood supply is naturally poor, which is exactly where the body struggles to heal on its own. Our physicians assess your imaging, history and goals before recommending it, because BMAC is not the right answer for every patient and we will tell you honestly if it is not.
Treated areas include knee, hip and shoulder osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, facet joint and sacroiliac joint pain, chronic tendon injuries, and early avascular necrosis.
Collect
A small volume of bone marrow is drawn from the back of your pelvis under local anesthesia. The area is numbed thoroughly, and the draw itself takes only a few minutes.
Concentrate
The sample is spun in a centrifuge to isolate the cell rich layer, separating out the repair cells, growth factors and signalling proteins from the rest of the marrow.
Deliver
Using fluoroscopy or ultrasound, your physician injects the concentrate directly into the damaged joint, disc or tendon, placing it exactly where the imaging shows the problem.
Frequently asked questions
Both treatments use your own biology, but they draw from different sources. PRP is concentrated from your blood and is rich in growth factors. BMAC is concentrated from your bone marrow and contains both growth factors and a population of cells involved in tissue repair. For more advanced joint degeneration, your physician may recommend BMAC over PRP.
The site is numbed with local anesthetic before anything begins, and most patients describe a brief sensation of pressure rather than sharp pain. The draw takes a few minutes. Some soreness at the hip for a few days afterwards is normal and settles with rest and ice.
Plan for roughly one and a half to two hours at our office from arrival to discharge. The collection, processing and injection all happen in the same visit. You will need someone to drive you home if sedation is used.
BMAC works by supporting your body's own repair process, so change is gradual rather than immediate. Many patients begin noticing improvement between four and eight weeks, with continued progress over three to six months. Your physician will schedule follow ups to track your response.
candidates typically have moderate joint degeneration, have tried conservative treatment without lasting relief, and want to avoid or delay surgery. Certain blood disorders, active infections and some cancers rule it out. A consultation with imaging review is the only way to know for certain.
