After completing his orthopedic surgery residency in Canada in 1993, Dr. Elbaz initially practiced traditional orthopedics. However, as a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, he quickly gravitated toward minimally invasive techniques, particularly for knee and shoulder surgeries.
This shift eventually led him to explore computer-assisted and computer-navigated surgeries, paving the way for his work in orthobiologics; a field he stumbled upon in 2003.
Understanding orthobiologics
Orthobiologics use the body’s own cells and tissues to promote natural healing, reducing the need for more invasive procedures. These biologic therapies can come from a patient’s own blood platelets, bone marrow or fat or from donor sources, such as placental cells.
“The benefits of orthopedic biologics are significant,” Dr. Elbaz said. “Many of these procedures can be done without anesthesia, which makes them safer. They are also more affordable than traditional surgery and typically result in shorter recovery times, allowing patients to get back to their lives faster.”
Dr. Elbaz emphasized that orthopedic surgeons are uniquely qualified to administer these treatments.
“The beauty of orthopedic biologics is when it’s done by an orthopedic surgeon,” Dr. Elbaz said. “The surgeon has the ability to determine if the patient would need a surgery or a biologic treatment because they’ve done both.”
This dual expertise allows surgeons like Dr. Elbaz to tailor treatments to individual patients, combining biologics with surgery when necessary to enhance recovery.
Innovative solutions
In keeping with his less-is-more philosophy, Dr. Elbaz prioritizes non-invasive solutions whenever possible.
One such treatment is platelet-rich plasma or platelet-rich fibrin, both derived from the patient’s own blood. Dr. Elbaz explained in this method that a little bit of the patient’s blood is used to prepare the regenerative substances.
For more severe conditions or multiple joint issues, he turns to stem cell therapies.
“We use adipose-derived stem cells, which come from your fat,” Dr. Elbaz said. Through a gentle, chemical-free mini-liposuction, he extracts the cells and processes them for treatment. In some cases, bone marrow-derived stem cells are added. “We get a little bit of bone marrow from your pelvis in a minimal discomfort,” Dr. Elbaz said, explaining that these cells are often combined with fat-derived stem cells for maximum healing potential.
When surgery is necessary, Dr. Elbaz integrates biologics to enhance healing.
“Sometimes you have injuries such as a torn tissue such as an ACL or a meniscus where we can supplement or augment the number of stem cells in the tissue to allow them to heal more quickly,” Dr. Elbaz said.
Clearing up misconceptions
While orthobiologics offers promising results, Dr. Elbaz warns against unqualified practitioners offering similar treatments.
“There’s a subset of practitioners that have given biologics a bad name,” he said. He points out that some clinics use ineffective placental products and lack proper imaging guidance.
“All these treatments have to be done through image guidance—injections have to be done using X-ray, ultrasound or other modalities to ensure the cells are delivered where they need to go,” Dr. Elbaz said.
Dr. Elbaz’s practice has been using orthobiologic treatments for over 22 years and has performed over 10,000 image-guided procedures. This extensive experience allows him to provide the most advanced and effective care tailored to each patient’s specific needs.
Some of the services taken care of at Dr. Elbaz’s practice include:
- Regenerative orthopedics
- Sports medicine
- PRP therapy
- Rotator cuff repair
- Shoulder arthritis
The above story was produced by Multi Platform Journalist Chloe Chapel with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.
