In This Issue
Got hip pain?
Seminar Online
New Treatment for Knees
Meet A2M Therapy Patient Liz Henuset
Staying Informed
Quick Links
Got hip pain?
Mark says "Run" to the ZCO!

"Dr. Zehr met and exceeded all my expectations.I was up and walking with a new hip 4 hours after surgery and in the hospital therapy dept. in another hour.

 

"I walked out of the hospital on a cane on day 2, stopped using the cane on day 6, was driving and back in the pool on day 9. I am still doing follow up PT for further  strengthening.

 

"An excellent surgeon and staff and the Physician's Regional Hospital on Pine Ridge was great. I can't say more. Anyone with hip pain should run (or walk / limp) to Dr. Zehr's office so he and his staff will change your life.

 

"This new Direct Anterior procedure with a small 3-4 inch incision is the only way to have a hip replaced."

 

-Mark Geis

Our website is full of testimonies like Mark's - patients who are living pain-free lives. You can read them here. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to send us photos and stories for our office "Wall of Fame." We invite you to share your success story too, just hit "Reply!" 
 

Seminar Online

Video link
   

There are no live seminars scheduled, but we want to remind you that the entire educational seminar "Joint Arthritis - What's New, What Works" is available for viewing online, either in its entirety or in segments.

 

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Issue: #35
February 2015
Greetings!

 

In our September newsletter, we introduced a brand new, breakthrough treatment for knee osteoarthritis: alpha-2-macroglobulin therapy.

Patients who have received this treatment are reporting excellent results. The information is so important that we have reprinted the main article in this issue. And below that we introduce you to  one patient who will share her personal testimony about the A2M treatment in our March newsletter.

Warm regards, 
Robert J. Zehr, M.D.
New treatment for knee arthritis available at ZCO 
Older man playing baseball

If you have ever attended one of my educational seminars or have been to my office to discuss your knee pain, you know that the natural progression of treatment for knee arthritis that I recommend includes therapy, medication and injections, along with adopting healthy lifestyles such as weight control and exercise. It is only when the pain of your arthritis begins to interfere with your daily life that we begin talking about knee replacement surgery. Even if your x-rays show your condition to be "bone-on-bone" surgery is not automatically recommended. I have always said that my goal is to actually keep you off of my operating table! 

 

crystal structure of Alpha-2-macroglobulin
Crystal structure  of
alpha-2-macroglobulin 
Courtesy of Mattyjenjen,
Wikimedia Commons 
For some patients with knee arthritis, there is a new step available in the treatment plan - injections of alpha-2-macroglobulin.

An arthritic knee (and all arthritic joints) makes several chemicals that destroy the articular cartilage, which is the essence of osteoarthritis. However, our bodies make a protein, alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M), in a relatively large quantity and it circulates in our blood. A2M binds (captures) these "bad" chemicals produced in the knee and neutralizes their degenerative effect. The problem is that the naturally occurring A2M cannot cross into the arthritic joint in any quantity sufficient to achieve a positive effect.

 

This problem is resolved by injecting concentrated A2M, derived from the patient's own blood, into the knee joint. The product has been in research and development for approximately 10 years by Cytonics Corporation, a Jupiter, Florida-based private orthopedics research and development company. It is just now coming to market and clinical trials are underway. I have used this treatment on my own knee, and several ZCO patients have experienced successful results with it. A2M therapy represents the first true biologic treatment of osteoarthritis by addressing the actual destructive proteins that attack the articular cartilage and support collagen in our joints.

 

However, this therapy is not for everyone. It is not covered by insurance or Medicare. Nor is it inexpensive. Until now, I have confined my conversation about A2M to those of you who have tried more conventional treatments but are still reluctant to pursue surgery. I was recently quoted in an article chronicling the discovery and development of this therapy and you are sure to hear more about it in the coming months.

At ZCO we strive to stay "ahead of the curve," offering the newest, yet most trusted treatments and procedures for your joint health. At this time, we are the only physician's office on the west coast of Florida offering A2M therapy.

If you have questions about A2M therapy, please give us a call at (239) 596-0100 or submit your questions online via our contact form.

 

Meet A2M Therapy Patient Elizabeth Henuset 

   
A resident of Southwest Florida and of Canada, Liz is one of our "Snowbirds." She looks forward to wintering in our area. This year she has even more reason to anticipate her return - she can enjoy everything Southwest Florida has to offer, without experiencing pain in her knees!

Liz is 59-years young, and has moderately advanced osteoarthritis in both knees. Cortisone shots do not provide her with relief from the pain. In January, as an alternative to total knee replacement surgery, we injected both of her knees with alpha-2-macroglobulin, and she is thrilled with her results.We are too!

We will be chatting with Liz upon her return to the area, and will update you on her experience with A2M therapy in our March newsletter. In the meantime, if you want to read the medical research and explanation of how this amazing biologic treatment works, we have added this page to our website for your information.

Stay Informed

In our January newsletter we offered a few New Year's  resolutions on keeping your bones healthy. Be sure to add [email protected] to your address book so you don't miss future issues. You can read past issues  in our archive.

Our website is chock-full of educational information too, and we are constantly adding short articles to our blog, where you can choose to read about hips, knees, general orthopaedics and health or catch up on our latest news.