Medically reviewed by the Celva medical team · June 2026
Before you agree
to a cuff repair.
Rotator cuff degeneration, shoulder osteoarthritis, and chronic impingement frequently respond to MSC therapy when the tendon is thinned but not fully retracted. The evaluation tells you what you're working with.
Rotator cuff tendinopathy, partial tears, glenohumeral OA, and chronic impingement.
Shoulder tendon response often tracks slightly faster than large-joint OA.
Tendon-first thinking
for the shoulder.
The shoulder is mostly soft tissue. Cuff thickness, tear size, and tendon retraction determine whether regenerative therapy is reasonable, or whether surgical repair is the right tool. We treat the shoulder as a system: the cuff tendons, the joint surface, and the surrounding soft tissue together, because they fail together.
Partial-thickness tears, tendinopathy, and early-stage OA often respond. Full-thickness tears with significant retraction generally do not, once the tendon has pulled away from its footprint, biology alone won't reattach it.
We read your MRI before recommending anything. Our floor isn't "let's try." It's "this is a reasonable case."
Partial cuff tears, tendinopathy
Partial-thickness tears, chronic cuff tendinopathy, and refractory impingement.
Glenohumeral OA, labral drift
Early to moderate shoulder OA and post-labral-repair residuals.
Full retracted tears, massive cuff failure
Full-thickness retracted tears and massive cuff tears where structural reattachment is the only real option.
Shoulder conditions
the physician team evaluates.
Rotator cuff
Partial-thickness tears, tendinopathy, and chronic irritation that hasn't resolved with PT or injections.
- Partial-thickness < 50%
- Chronic tendinopathy
- Post-PRP non-responders
Glenohumeral OA
Early to moderate OA of the GH joint. Late-stage (bone-on-bone) cases are case-by-case if you want to delay or avoid replacement.
- Grade II–III strongest response
- Intact glenoid
- Preserved cuff function
Impingement & labrum
Chronic subacromial impingement and labral degeneration where conservative care has plateaued.
- Refractory impingement
- Labral fraying
- Post-arthroscopy residuals
Ultrasound-guided
tendon-targeted delivery.
Shoulder injections require precision against a moving tendon. Every delivery is done under ultrasound guidance with the cells placed at or adjacent to the target structure.
Joint cases like yours use bone-marrow and umbilical-cord MSCs, often in combination and sometimes with chondrocytes for cartilage support. The exact recipe, which cells, what doses, which routes, is decided by Celva's medical team after reviewing your imaging. Matched to your case, not pulled off a shelf. Why we use multiple cell types →
Delivered to the cuff footprint, GH joint, or subacromial space depending on pathology. Procedure runs under local anesthetic and twilight sedation, which keeps you comfortable and still so the physician can place the cells precisely. Most patients can use the arm for light activity within 48 hours.
MRI review
Cuff thickness, tear characterization, and joint status evaluated by attending.
Target map
Cuff footprint vs. intra-articular vs. subacromial, matched to pathology.
Ultrasound-guided injection
Live needle visualization. Cell release confirmed at target.
Systemic IV
A second MSC dose in the infusion suite. Circulating cells are drawn toward inflammation and migrate toward the shoulder we just injected, reinforcing the local repair while calming inflammation body-wide.
Scoring & check-ins
We score SPADI and VAS at baseline, then at 4, 8, and 12 months, with a lighter pain check around six weeks. Repeat imaging if you return to Celva for re-treatment.
What to expect.
No promises.
Settling phase
Post-injection soreness resolves. Baseline function largely unchanged.
Function returns
Range of motion, overhead activity, and sleep typically improve first.
Peak window
Best-achieved outcomes with strength and load tolerance.
Durability
Many patients hold improvement with ongoing conditioning. Booster at six months for subset.
Shoulder outcomes track faster than hip or spine, but the same principle holds: no meaningful change is expected in the first two weeks. We measure on standardized scales, not day-to-day feel.
If your cuff has fully retracted off the footprint or you have a massive tear pattern, MSC therapy will not reattach the tendon. We will refer you to a surgeon we trust when that's the case.
Shoulder-specific
questions.
Q.01Will MSCs heal a rotator cuff tear?
Q.02What's the difference between PRP and MSC therapy for shoulder?
Q.03Can I still lift after this?
Q.04What about frozen shoulder?
Other joint regions
we treat.
Start with a
read of your MRI.
Your first call is with a Celva patient coordinator; Celva's medical team reads your MRI and tells you plainly whether MSC therapy fits your case, or whether repair is what the structure actually needs.