Stem cell therapy trial at Sanford first of its kind in US for shoulder injuries

The first FDA-approved clinical trial of its kind in the United States using a person’s own fat-derived adult stem cells to treat shoulder injuries is available at Sanford Health.

The trial opened in December and explores if adipose stem cells, which are taken from a participant’s own abdominal fat, can safely repair small and partial thickness tears in the rotator cuff by activating the body’s natural healing processes when injected into the injury area. The cell therapy technique may accelerate healing or regenerate tissue.

According to clinicaltrials.gov, it’s the only trial the FDA has approved that uses adipose stems cells for this type of injury.