Press release from Baxter Health:
MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. — Baxter Health Bone & Joint Clinic is inviting the public to learn about a cutting-edge regenerative medicine treatment now available in north central Arkansas during a free community event on Nov. 19.
Orthopaedic surgeons Dr. Thomas Knox and Dr. Ed Roeder will lead the presentation at 6 p.m. in the Gregory Room at the Mountain Home Community Center, located at 1 Community Center Drive. The event will focus on ultrasound-guided platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, injections, an emerging treatment designed to help patients recover from joint, tendon, ligament, and soft tissue injuries by using the body’s own natural healing process.
Representatives from Bioventus, the company behind the XCELL PRP system used at Baxter Health, will also be on hand to demonstrate the technology and answer questions. A meal catered by Little B’s will be provided.
PRP therapy begins with a small blood draw from the patient. The blood is processed in a centrifuge to isolate and concentrate platelets, which contain growth factors and proteins that aid in tissue repair. The concentrated plasma is then injected directly into the injured area.
According to Baxter Health, the clinic’s PRP program combines the XCELL PRP system, which can produce platelet concentrations up to 10 times higher than those found in whole blood, with ultrasound guidance that allows physicians to precisely place the injection in the targeted tissue.
The treatment may benefit patients suffering from conditions such as knee and hip osteoarthritis, rotator cuff tendinitis, tennis elbow, ligament sprains, and other musculoskeletal injuries. It may also provide an option for patients seeking alternatives to surgery or long-term pain management.
Knox said he has already seen promising results since bringing the procedure to the clinic.
“That patient now tells me she has complete pain relief,” Knox said of a recent patient treated with an ultrasound-guided PRP injection. “That is exactly what this technology can do, and it is why I want our community to know it is available right here at home.”
Knox has provided orthopaedic care in the region for more than 40 years and joined Baxter Health Bone & Joint Clinic in 2024. Roeder joined the clinic in 2023 after more than two decades of orthopaedic practice in Springfield, Missouri.
The ultrasound equipment used for the procedures was donated to the clinic by Bob and Mary A. Walker, longtime friends and patients of Knox.
The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP by Nov. 16. For more information, contact Baxter Health Bone & Joint Clinic at (870) 424-4710.
