Celva Bio / Joint pain / Hip pain
§ 001 · Hip · MSC therapy

Before you
accept a hip
replacement.

Hip osteoarthritis and labral degeneration frequently respond to precision-delivered MSC therapy when caught before end-stage joint-space collapse. Whether your case qualifies is a physician decision made against your imaging.

Scope
OA & labrum

Hip OA, labral tears, and accelerated degeneration after impingement or injury.

Response window
6–16 wks

Hip response trends a little slower than knee. Peak 4–6 months.

Investment
$10K–$25K

All-in. Concierge transport, fluoroscopic delivery, IV adjunct, follow-up.

§ 002 · Candidacy

A well-evaluated hip
has options.

The hip is deep, well-vascularized, and forgiving of precision-delivered biologics when structure is still largely intact. When the femoral head has collapsed or joint space is fully obliterated, it isn't.

Patients who do best typically arrive with moderate radiographic OA, a labral tear, or post-impingement degeneration. Conservative care has plateaued; injections haven't held.

We evaluate imaging carefully before recommending anything. Avascular necrosis, advanced bone collapse, and end-stage joint-space loss are not strong MSC cases and we'll say so directly.

Strong fit

Moderate hip OA with preserved joint space

Kellgren–Lawrence II or III. Cartilage loss without full collapse.

Also a fit

Labral degeneration, post-FAI drift

Labral tears, femoroacetabular impingement sequelae, post-surgical hips that never settled.

Not a fit

Avascular necrosis, end-stage collapse

AVN with subchondral collapse and grade IV OA with bone-on-bone contact. Surgery is usually the right answer.

§ 003 · Indications

Hip conditions
we evaluate.

Osteoarthritis

Hip OA (I–III)

Early to moderate hip osteoarthritis with partial joint-space preservation and no subchondral collapse.

  • Grade II–III strongest
  • Weight-bearing imaging read
  • Femoral head integrity confirmed
Labrum

Labral degeneration

Degenerative labral tears and post-repair hips that remain symptomatic despite conservative care.

  • Degenerative tears
  • Post-arthroscopy residuals
  • Low-grade cartilage wear
Drift

FAI & early degeneration

Femoroacetabular impingement sequelae and accelerated drift after prior hip events.

  • CAM / Pincer pathology
  • Early cartilage wear
  • Refractory groin pain
§ 004 · Protocol

Fluoroscopic
intra-articular delivery.

The hip is deep. It requires image guidance. Every hip injection at Celva is done under fluoroscopy with contrast confirmation before cells are released.

Cells are allogeneic, donor-screened, expanded to passage three in our ISO-7 cGMP laboratory. Dose calibrated to the joint and your case.

Procedure runs under local anesthetic with light sedation at patient request. Most patients walk out same day and travel home the following morning.

01 / Screen

Imaging review

MRI and X-ray with weight-bearing films. Read by attending physician.

02 / Plan

Dose & route

Intra-articular dose, possible IV adjunct, and whether a second session at six months fits your case.

03 / Deliver

Fluoroscopic injection

Contrast confirms capsular position before release. Image-guided placement, non-negotiable for the hip.

~45 min · local + sedation option
04 / Adjunct

Systemic IV

Second MSC dose via IV in the infusion suite for systemic anti-inflammatory support.

05 / Follow-up

30 / 60 / 90 days

HOOS and VAS at each interval. Imaging re-read at six months.

§ 005 · Timeline

Hip response
trends slower.

~ 30 days
Soft tissue settles

Post-injection soreness resolves. Baseline pain often unchanged.

~ 90 days
Measurable change

HOOS function begins improving. Stairs, socks, side-sleeping, functional markers shift first.

~ 180 days
Peak window

Most patients reach best-achieved improvement between four and six months.

12+ months
Durability

Registry shows many hip patients hold improvement for one to three years with attention to loading and activity.

The hip's deep position and weight-bearing load mean earlier wins are uncommon. Stability of load-bearing activity is the signal to watch at 90 days.

The honest limit

Avascular necrosis with collapse, grade IV OA with bone-on-bone contact, or severe dysplasia generally aren't MSC cases. If that's what your imaging shows, we'll tell you, and recommend a surgeon we trust.

§ 006 · Questions

Hip-specific
questions.

Q.01Can MSC therapy avoid hip replacement?
For patients with moderate OA and preserved joint space, it is a legitimate path to evaluate first. For end-stage OA or AVN with collapse, replacement usually remains the right answer. The evaluation decides.
Q.02Why fluoroscopic guidance and not ultrasound?
The hip joint is deep; capsular position must be verified with radio-opaque contrast before cells are released. Fluoroscopy is the standard of care for intra-articular hip injection.
Q.03How long before I can return to activity?
Light activity within days. Structured return to loading over four weeks. Running or high-impact activity generally waits until the 90-day review.
Q.04Does insurance cover this?
No. MSC therapy is not FDA-approved for joint disease in the United States and is not a covered benefit. Pricing is published in full.
§ 008 · Start here

Start with a
real read.

A hip consult is a physician reading your imaging and telling you plainly whether MSC therapy fits your case. If it doesn't, we'll say so.

Book a consult →
Not medical advice. Individual results vary. All patients undergo physician screening before treatment is recommended.