Interventional Orthobiologic is a new medical specialty that utilizes the potential of orthobiologic products. It is used in our office to address only common  musculoskeletal conditions that may be improved by them. Orthobiologic products used at our office are:

• MSC/BMC

• Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)

They are injected in precise locations under x-ray and/or ultrasound guidance. 

Interventional Orthobiologic Medicine is a game-changing area of medicine with the potential to help many patients, offering an alternative solution for those who have musculoskeletal conditions like joint problems, rupture ligaments or tendons, etc., that were beyond hope of repair, using simple conventional non surgical means. These modern cutting edge techniques may sometimes but not always help you postpone or avoid surgery all together, when due to your health condition surgery is very risky. 

In our office we use Interventional Orthobiologic techniques to treat exclusively common musculoskeletal conditions, where they will hopefully promote healing. These techniques show promise although more research is needed. These modalities have the potential to improve painful knee conditions, painful shoulder conditions, painful ligaments and tendon tears, painful bursitis, etc. These  techniques are very new, but they are being used at major universities both in the USA and abroad. We wanted to make them available locally to our patients. As mentioned above these techniques appear promising, but more research is needed. 

Discover the Power of Orthobiologic Therapies!

“Orthobiologics”, refers to the use of autologous unmodified  biological substances such as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and Bone Marrow Concentrate MSC, to help musculoskeletal and ligamentous injuries that may heal quicker. They are used to improve the healing of fractured bones and injured muscles, tendons and ligaments. These orthobiologic substance are prepared from blood or bone marrow obtained from your own body. With its many healing functions Orthobiologic therapy has proven to be a viable treatment alternative for many orthopedic related problems. 

Orthobiologic therapy is not for Everyone!

In Saint Augustine Florida, it was Dr. Dieguez Jr. the one who introduced these non-surgical modalities and he has used them in our Saint Augustine Florida office for close to eight years to try to help patients with musculoskeletal conditions, spine conditions, sport injuries and orthopedic conditions. 

 We do not want anyone to think this is a magical cure because it is not! We offer these as an alternative promising modality with potential to help many people. It shows promise although more research is needed.

The success rate of these procedures varies and this success rate increases when the patients are picked correctly and when the latest techniques are used. We do not make false claim about the procedures we perform and yes, they do not work for everyone and there are failures. Additionally, even in the successful patients, the procedure may have to be repeated years later, just like at times you have to have revision of a knee replacement because it is not working right or because the prosthesis is worn out or it has loosened up. Remember, nothing last forever!  There are failures in any treatment even in the best hands. Additionally not all patients are good candidates for these Orthobiologic procedures. That is why it is so important to pick the patients correctly. You want to give them the best chance of success. However the beauty of these procedures using autologous minimally manipulated products is that in trained hands the risk is minimal. 

Here are the rules we follow when using Orthobiologics. 

In this ever-changing field, we always strive to stay within FDA and Florida Board of Medicine regulations at all times. We want to bring you the latest treatments not frowned upon by the FDA and the Board of Medicine. When using orthobiologics in our treatments:

• All products are harvested from your own body. We mainly use autologous Bone Marrow Concentrate (BMC) harvested from your own bone marrow and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) harvested from peripheral blood.

• We do not manipulate any of the products we use in any way shape or form, since that would constitute the creation of a drug and this is a highly regulated process by the FDA.

• Nothing is added to the PRP or the BMC for the same reason above mention. It would constitute the creation of a drug and this is a highly regulated process by the FDA.

• All procedures are performed by Dr. Dieguez himself, under local anesthesia in one seating. All is done in our procedure room under the strictest aseptic techniques. It takes about an hour to an hour and a half. You walk in and you walk out! 

• We do not make false claim about the procedures we perform and I repeat, yes they do not work for everyone and there are failures. The failure rate varies.

•  We do not use any amniotic fluid products or umbilical cord products or exosomes. 

• We only treat musculoskeletal conditions.

• All injections are performed under fluoroscopic or ultrasound guidance.

The problems practitioners are facing.

With all of the medical potential, also comes novelty and uncertainty as this field matures. There are a small number of unscrupulous actors who have seized on the clinical promise of these procedures, while exploiting the uncertainty, in order to make deceptive, and sometimes corrupt, assurances to patients based on unproven and, in some cases, dangerously dubious products. These dishonest actors exploit the sincere reports of the significant clinical potential of properly developed products as a way of deceiving patients and preying on the optimism of patients facing bad illnesses. This puts the entire field of of orthobiologic medicine at risk. Products that are reliably and carefully developed will be harder to advance if bad actors are able to make hollow claims and market unsafe science.

 At the same time, it is incumbent upon the FDA to separate with bright lines new treatments that are: 1) medical products subject to the FDA’s regulation and 2) therapies that are individualized by surgeons/physicians in such a way that they are not subject to FDA regulation. This is the key between what is legal and what is not.

This is why we do not use any umbilical cord products or amniotic fluid product, exosomes and many other products being sold out there. They are not FDA approved. They may either transmit disease, or there are no live and functional cells in those umbilical cord blood products or amniotic fluid products that are being sold. This is something that Dr. Chris Centeno from Regenex in Denver Colorado has confirmed and now Lisa Fortier's lab at Cornell has also confirmed. Marketing and using these products is basically fraudulent.

The therapies that we use are individualized, and are not subject to FDA regulation. This applies to orthobiologics when they are taken from and given back to the same individual or when they do not undergo significant manufacturing, are intended to perform the same basic functions, and are not combined with another drug or device and their benefits and risks are well understood. In these circumstances, the products may not require premarket review under current law. We do not manipulate the orthobiologics, in any way shape or form. That would constitute the “creation of a drug” according to the law and this is a highly regulated process by the FDA and other agencies.  

Warning! 

Please be aware that we are not one of those so called “pain clinic”! We treat the different musculoskeletal, orthopedic and spine conditions and sports injuries using orthobiologics and other natural substances and also with other precision guided injections and acupuncture.

Having worked for the Florida Department of Health as an expert witness for the prosecution services unit reviewing cases and being very aware of the addiction problem we have in our country, Dr. Dieguez rarely if ever prescribes narcotics and other controlled addictive medications. If he ever does, it is only if absolutely necessary after a minor surgical procedure and never for longer than 3 days or very rarely 5 days.

 We exclusively do minor surgical interventional procedures using orthobiologics and other joints and spine injection. With that been said, if what you are looking for are narcotics or other controlled substances, don’t expect to get them in this office. Don't waste my time or yours. Or your money for that matter! This is not a pain clinic!  Here you will go out empty handed. And remember, we will not hesitate in reporting drug seekers to the authorities. Additionaly we do not prescribe Marijuana or any of its derivatives either at this time! 

                              New Office Location: 811 State Road 206 East Ste.1 at  

                                  South Shore Plaza St. Augustine Florida 32086

                                                      Phone: 904-824-0955