From Injury to Recovery: Where Biologics Belong in the Hip Preservation Timeline

Traditional treatments for hip pain include rest, physical therapy, or surgery, but there’s growing recognition of the role biologics can play in preserving hip health. As research continues to expand, biologics are becoming a vital part of hip preservation. Let’s explore their place in the hip preservation timeline and how they can help restore mobility and function.

Understanding the Hip Preservation Timeline

The hip preservation timeline refers to the stepwise approach used to manage hip problems before they progress to advanced arthritis or require total hip replacement. Early in this process, conservative care, like activity modification, anti-inflammatory medications, and targeted physical therapy, is typically introduced. When these methods alone aren’t enough, biologics can offer an important next step by supporting healing and slowing joint deterioration.

Early Intervention With Biologics for Hip Injuries

In the early stages of hip injury or degeneration, when conservative treatments such as physical therapy and medications have been insufficient, PRP and cell therapy offer a promising nonoperative option. When injected into the hip joint or surrounding tissues, PRP can help alleviate pain, reduce inflammation, and encourage repair of damaged cartilage, tendons, and ligaments. Cell therapy uses regenerative cells to stimulate tissue repair, promote cartilage health, and improve overall joint function. By intervening early with these biologics, patients may experience symptom relief and delayed disease progression, potentially postponing the need for surgery.

Using Biologics to Enhance Surgical Outcomes

When surgery is necessary, PRP and cell therapy serve as valuable adjuncts to enhance healing and improve outcomes in hip preservation procedures like hip arthroscopy. Surgeons may apply PRP directly to repaired labral tissue or cartilage defects to stimulate faster healing and modulate postoperative inflammation. Cell therapy can be used to augment cartilage repair techniques by delivering regenerative cells that support tissue regeneration and long-term joint preservation. These biologics improve the biological environment of the joint after surgical intervention, which can lead to reduced recovery times and better functional results compared to surgery alone.

How Biologics Support Healing After Hip Surgery

During the postoperative phase, the use of PRP and cell therapy may continue to support recovery by further stimulating tissue repair and controlling inflammation. Follow-up injections can enhance the healing of repaired structures, optimize joint function, and improve patients’ ability to return to normal activities sooner. This postoperative utilization underscores the versatility of PRP and cell therapy, extending their benefits beyond initial treatment or surgical intervention into the rehabilitation process.

Biologics as Alternatives to Hip Surgery

For patients who are not surgical candidates or who wish to delay surgery, PRP and cell therapy offer minimally invasive treatment options that can provide significant symptomatic relief. While these biologics may not reverse severe joint damage, they can improve pain and function in cases of mild to moderate hip osteoarthritis or focal cartilage defects. In younger patients with localized cartilage damage, cell therapy in combination with surgical techniques may provide an effective biologic approach to restore joint health and preserve hip function over the long term.

By integrating biologics at appropriate stages, clinicians can harness the body’s healing potential to improve outcomes and preserve hip function, making these biologics indispensable in modern hip injury treatment protocols. 

AUTHOR: Mark F. Schinsky, MD, is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in adult reconstructive surgery, with a focus on hip and knee replacement. He has extensive expertise in minimally invasive techniques, complex primary procedures, and revision total joint replacements, using the latest surgical technologies and biologics to improve outcomes and recovery.

AUTHOR: Megan Flynn, MD, is a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine, with a focus on soft tissue injuries of the knee, shoulder, and elbow. She has extensive experience caring for athletes at all levels—from professionals to weekend warriors. Known for her advanced training, compassionate care, and dedication to education, Dr. Flynn is committed to helping patients recover and thrive while also mentoring the next generation of physicians.