The Biologics Approach

The practice of medicine depends on the fundamental ability to evaluate, diagnose, and treat the problem properly to optimize outcomes. Diagnosing an injury by performing a thorough history and physical exam, detailed interpretation of diagnostic imaging (x-ray, MRI, CT, ultrasound), understanding biomechanics, and correlating the information is paramount to creating a multidisciplinary plan of care. Knowing when to use a non-surgical approach and when to consider surgery is key. With certain injuries, there may have to be a compromise as a complete resolution may not be available. This is all part of the evaluation, discussion, and treatment planning.

Medical treatments are typically based on evidence based medicine, which utilizes the best available research information. With biologic treatments, the research and data are continuously growing, and so the consensus on how to use biologics for musculoskeletal problems is still being formed. Therefore, anecdotal evidence and individual physician experience is often relied upon to optimize successful outcomes using these treatments.

Biologic treatments activate and stimulate pathways that can help assist the body in ways that cannot occur on its own. There are many biologic treatments, variations, concentrations, and combinations of those treatments that can affect the body differently. This can lead to varying results due to treatment complexity, but also because every situation is unique, and every person responds to treatments uniquely.

Establishment of the proper diagnosis, creating a personalized treatment plan, optimizing the biomechanics and physical performance of the affected area, utilizing image guidance whenever possible, continuous assessment of the patient’s progress over time, and providing needed additional treatments is what increases the success using the biologic approach.