Regenerative Medicine
PRP vs Stem Cell Therapy for Joint Pain: What Patients Should Know
PRP uses a concentrated sample of your own platelets, while stem cell injections use living cells harvested from bone marrow or fat. Here is how they differ and what current guidance says.
Reviewed by the clinical team at Zest Regen Health · October 7, 2026 · 7 min read
Content managed by Phil Kim, Lucky Consulting Group
PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy uses a concentrated sample of your own platelets, while stem cell injections use living cells harvested from your bone marrow or fat tissue. They are often grouped under the same 'regenerative medicine' umbrella, but they are very different procedures with very different evidence. Current professional guidance is cautious about both, and considerably more cautious about stem cell injections. At Zest Regen Health in Columbia, Maryland, regenerative options are offered only after a medical evaluation determines what may be appropriate for your joint or soft tissue concern.
How PRP and stem cell therapy differ
PRP starts with a routine blood draw. The sample is spun in a centrifuge to concentrate platelets, which carry growth factors and signaling proteins, and the prepared plasma is injected into the target joint or soft tissue area. No living cells are introduced: PRP works by signaling and supporting your body's own healing response.
Stem cell injections are a different category. They introduce living cells harvested from your own bone marrow (an aspiration procedure) or fat tissue (a liposuction procedure), with the goal of those cells contributing to tissue repair. The harvest is more invasive, the preparation is more complex, and the evidence behind the marketing is thinner.
| Question | PRP therapy | Stem cell injections |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Your own blood, drawn at the visit | Living cells from bone marrow or fat tissue |
| Preparation | Centrifuge concentrates platelets | Harvest procedure, then cell processing |
| What is injected | Concentrated platelets and plasma | Living cells |
| Evidence for knee osteoarthritis | Weak recommendation in the 2021 AAOS guideline, based on limited evidence | No formal recommendation; major orthopaedic groups advise against routine use |
| FDA status | Not an FDA-approved drug product for joint injection | No FDA-approved stem cell product for joint arthritis treatment |
What professional guidelines say
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) 2021 clinical practice guideline on non-arthroplasty management of knee osteoarthritis gives PRP a weak recommendation based on limited evidence, noting inconsistent results and a lack of standardized protocols. For stem cell injections, the AAOS made no formal recommendation because the evidence is conflicting or insufficient, and major orthopaedic organizations do not recommend stem cell injections for routine joint arthritis treatment. The American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) 2025 position statement is direct: biologic injections have not been shown to restore cartilage in arthritic hips or knees, and there are no FDA-approved indications for therapeutic stem cell injections.
Why the distinction matters
The two treatments are often marketed side by side, and stem cell injections are typically far more expensive. When a clinic cannot clearly explain what is in the injection, where it came from, and what the evidence supports, that is a reason to pause. A responsible regenerative medicine program starts with an evaluation and an honest conversation about what the evidence does and does not support.
Questions to ask before any regenerative injection
- What exactly is being injected, and where does it come from?
- What does the evidence show for my specific condition?
- Who performs the injection, and what training do they have?
- What are the realistic expectations, including how many sessions may be needed?
- What are the costs, and what is included if additional sessions are needed?
See how PRP therapy is evaluated at the Columbia clinic (/services/prp-therapy/).
Explore regenerative medicine options at Zest (/services/regenerative-medicine/).
Read whether PRP is right for knee osteoarthritis (/blog/is-prp-right-for-knee-osteoarthritis/).
Meet our physicians, who evaluate patients at Zest Regen Health (/dr-francisco-ward/).
Sources & further reading
Next step
If you have persistent joint pain and want to understand whether a regenerative option such as PRP may be appropriate, the first step is an evaluation, not an injection. Book a free 15-minute consultation at the Columbia clinic to review your history and discuss your options with our clinical team.
Talk with our care team about this topic
A member of our clinical team can answer your questions at the Columbia, Maryland clinic. If PRP Therapy may be appropriate for you, the first step is a consultation.
Care at Zest Regen Health is physician-guided. Meet our physicians, who evaluate patients at the Columbia, Maryland clinic.