Can this replace ACL reconstruction?

Not for a complete rupture in a patient who needs full pivoting stability. For partial tears, and for patients whose goals do not require that, it may be an option worth reviewing. Your MRI decides which applies.

How is the treatment given?

As a targeted injection into the knee, sometimes combined with intravenous delivery, in a single visit to our licensed clinic in San José. No incision, no general anesthetic, no hospital stay.

I tore my ACL years ago. Is it too late?

An old ACL injury often leaves ongoing inflammation and early cartilage wear. Whether treatment is appropriate depends on what your imaging shows today, not on when the injury happened.

When might I notice a change?

Responses vary with the extent of the tear and the condition of the rest of the knee. Some patients report changes within weeks; others over several months.

Who is not a candidate?

Active infection, certain cancers, and some other conditions rule treatment out. Your medical review determines candidacy, not this page.

ACL Injury Stem Cell Treatment in Costa Rica

How stem cell therapy may help with an ACL injury

The anterior cruciate ligament is the knee’s main stabiliser against twisting. When it tears, the joint loses its anchor, inflammation lingers for months, and the surrounding cartilage takes on strain it was never meant to carry. Reconstruction replaces the ligament with a graft and asks for a long rehabilitation. Not every patient wants, or needs, that path.

Mesenchymal stem cells are studied for their ability to reduce inflammation in and around the injured ligament.
Research examines how cell signalling may affect inflammation and the tissue environment. Evidence and clinical outcomes vary by application.
Treatment is delivered directly into the knee in a single session, without incision.
Cells are prepared in our own laboratory and used fresh, never frozen.
The protocol is written for your knee, your imaging and your goals.

Concerns to discuss with your care team

Instability

The knee that shifts or gives way when you turn, stop or step down.

Lingering pain

The dull ache that flares with activity, long after the injury itself.

Restricted motion

Swelling and scar tissue that keep the knee from bending or straightening fully.

The ceiling on rehabilitation

Progress that stalled in physical therapy and has not moved since.

Who may be a candidate

Adults with a partial ACL tear, or a complete tear who have not regained satisfactory knee function through rehabilitation, may be evaluated. This includes patients weighing the risks and recovery time of reconstruction. Candidacy is decided by our physicians after a medical review of your history and MRI, never by a form.

Treatment is not offered where there is active infection, certain cancers, or other conditions identified in review.

What to expect

1. Evaluation

A call with a patient advisor, then a medical review of your records and knee MRI.

2. Treatment plan

Protocol, schedule and the full investment, written for your case and discussed with you before you travel.

3. Treatment in San José

Travel and stay arranged for you. Treatment by our physicians in our Ministry of Health–licensed clinic.

4. Follow-up care

Scheduled check-ins with our team after you return home.

Investment

Each plan is built for one patient. In your consultation we walk through the full investment and exactly what it includes: cells, clinical care, and the arrangements around your stay.

The Cellebration approach

Fresh, never frozen. Ask how cells are prepared and evaluated for your proposed care.
Physician-led. Clinical decisions by our medical team, in a licensed clinic.
An informed discussion. Review the evidence, limitations and alternatives relevant to your condition.
Personalized support. A care team helps coordinate the treatment journey.

ACL Injury