Get a free quote

Stem cell therapy for the shoulder.

Clinics inject cells into torn or worn rotator cuff tendons, and some surgeons add them during a repair. Added to surgery, they cut retears on the scan but patients did not feel better. Injected alone, they did no better than saltwater.[1][2]

Get a free quoteCompare clinics

Written by Eli McGarvie.

Clinics that treat shoulders.

Compare what they treat and what they charge, then get a free quote.

All 6 clinics
ClinicConditionsTreatmentsPrice from
Longevity Medical InstituteSan José del Cabo, Mexico ShoulderKneeHipBack pain MesenchymalExosomesIVInjections USD 2,325 Dream Body ClinicBucerías, Mexico ShoulderKneeHipBack pain MesenchymalUmbilical cordIVInjections USD 3,500 AuragensPanama City, Panama ShoulderKneeHipBack pain Umbilical cordMesenchymalExosomesIV USD 14,500 Panama Cell TherapiesPanama City, Panama ShoulderAutismALSMS MesenchymalInjections Not disclosed Stem Cells ColombiaMedellín, Colombia ShoulderKneeHipBack pain Umbilical cordMesenchymalExosomesInjections USD 1,999 Miracle Regenerative CenterBangkok, Thailand ShoulderKneeHipBack pain MesenchymalExosomesIVInjections Not disclosed

Shoulder treatment cost.

The lowest price clinics publish in each country.

Full cost guide
MexicoFromUSD 2,3252 clinicsPanamaFromUSD 14,5002 clinicsColombiaFromUSD 1,9991 clinicThailandFromNot published1 clinic

Cells added to surgery, or injected instead of it

Added to a rotator cuff repair

The surgeon puts your own bone marrow or fat cells into the repair during the operation. This has the better evidence.[1][3]

Injected instead of surgery

Cells injected into a torn or worn tendon in a clinic visit. This is what most clinics sell, and it has the weaker evidence.[2]

What to expect

The procedure

An injection takes one outpatient visit, with a bone marrow or fat harvest first if your own cells are used. Patients mostly describe the injection as quick and painless.[4] Most were guided by ultrasound, but some clinics injected by feel.[4]

Recovery

Clinics told patients to rest the arm for two to four weeks, keep moving gently and avoid anti-inflammatory painkillers. Some had a hard first few weeks, more sore than before treatment.[4]

When it works, and how long it lasts

Patients were told to expect a first change at three to four weeks and the final result at three to six months.[4] After surgery with cells, the one difference in symptoms found in a randomised trial appeared at six months and was gone by twelve.[5]

Who it suits, and who it doesn't

Every injection trial required physical therapy to have failed first.[6][2] No cell study enrolled people with massive or irreparable tears.[1] Patients agree that tear size decides the outcome, and nobody in our review reported a fully torn, pulled-back tendon reattached by an injection.[4]

Risks

Pain at the injection site and bruising at the harvest site are common. Across shoulder injection trials, about one in ten had a complication such as lasting pain, frozen shoulder or a worse tear.[2][7] Joint infection is rare but serious: in one series every infected patient needed more surgery, on average 3.6 operations.[8]

Will insurance pay for it?

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says stem cell treatments are often not covered.[19]

Fewer retears on the scan; patients do not feel the difference

Does it work? Added to surgery, cells roughly halve the chance of a retear showing on a scan, but patients report the same pain and movement as those who had the repair alone.[1][9] Injected without surgery, it did no better than saltwater.[2]

17.7% vs 35%of surgical repairs retore with cells against without, on scansPooled review, 5 comparative studies[1]
15% vs 16%of patients failed treatment, with cells against without, including repeat surgeryLargest randomised trial of cells in cuff repair[3]
No betterthan a saltwater injection at three months for partial tearsPlacebo-controlled trial, 24 people[2]
22 of 37patients who had an injection instead of surgery and reported back online described a clear improvementOur review of patient accounts on Reddit and forums[4]

Where it is allowed

United States. No cell or exosome product is FDA-approved for any shoulder or tendon condition.[10][11]

Malaysia. Same-day use of your own minimally processed cells is allowed. Lab-grown and donor cells must be registered first.[12]

Mexico. COFEPRIS has said stem cell treatments lack authorisation.[13]

Specialists. The 2025 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons rotator cuff guideline makes 29 recommendations and options, and none mentions stem cells.[14]

Is it better than PRP?

No trial has compared them in the shoulder. PRP shows the same pattern of fewer retears without better symptoms, on far more patients.[18] PRP vs stem cells

Common questions

Can it save me from surgery?

No study has tested that.[15]

Does it work for frozen shoulder or a labral tear?

There is no human cell therapy study and no registered trial for either.[16][17]

Questions to ask a clinic

  1. Will you look at my MRI before saying I am a candidate?
  2. How big is my tear, and is the tendon still attached?
  3. Will the injection be guided by ultrasound?
  4. Which cells, and can I see the certificate for my batch?
  5. Would a repair with cells added suit me better than an injection?
  6. What can I not do afterwards, and for how long?

Sources

19 references
  1. Cofano E, et al. Combined arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with mesenchymal stem cell augmentation shows similar functional outcomes but a higher structural integrity rate compared with isolated repair: a meta-analysis of comparative studies. JSES international, 2025. Link
  2. Chun SW, et al. A randomized controlled trial of stem cell injection for tendon tear. Scientific Reports, 2022. Link
  3. Cole BJ, et al. Prospective Randomized Trial of Biologic Augmentation With Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate in Patients Undergoing Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 2023. Link
  4. StemFinder review of first-hand patient accounts on Reddit and patient forums, 2026. Method
  5. Randelli PS, et al. Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair Augmentation With Autologous Microfragmented Lipoaspirate Tissue Is Safe and Effectively Improves Short-term Clinical and Functional Results: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial With 24-Month Follow-up. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 2022. Link
  6. Hurd JL, et al. Safety and efficacy of treating symptomatic, partial-thickness rotator cuff tears with fresh, uncultured, unmodified, autologous adipose-derived regenerative cells (UA-ADRCs) isolated at the point of care: a prospective, randomized, controlled first-in-human pilot study. Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research, 2020. Link
  7. Driscoll A, et al. Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections for the Treatment of Rotator Cuff Pathology Have Higher Complication Rates of Adhesive Capsulitis than Alternative Injectable Therapies: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Arthroscopy, 2026. Link
  8. Eliasberg CD, et al. Complications Following Biologic Therapeutic Injections: A Multicenter Case Series. Arthroscopy, 2021. Link
  9. Vieira Ferreira N, et al. The role of injections of mesenchymal stem cells as an augmentation tool in rotator cuff repair: a systematic review. JSES reviews, reports, and techniques, 2025. Link
  10. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Approved Cellular and Gene Therapy Products. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, 2026. Link
  11. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Consumer Alert on Regenerative Medicine Products Including Stem Cells and Exosomes. 2024. Link
  12. National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency, Ministry of Health Malaysia. Guidance Document and Guidelines for Registration of Cell and Gene Therapy Products (CGTPs) in Malaysia, Second Edition (September 2025). 2025. Link
  13. Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios (COFEPRIS). La COFEPRIS suspendió clínica del D.F. que ofrecía tratamientos con Células Madre sin aval científico. Gobierno de México, COFEPRIS (press release), 2015. Link
  14. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Management of Rotator Cuff Injuries: Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline. 2025. Link
  15. Jung CH, et al. Biologic Injection Therapy for Shoulder Disorders: A Narrative Review Comparing Platelet-Rich Plasma and Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania), 2026. Link
  16. ClinicalTrials.gov. ClinicalTrials.gov searches: condition 'adhesive capsulitis OR frozen shoulder' and condition 'labral tear OR SLAP lesion OR glenoid labrum OR biceps tendinopathy', each with intervention 'mesenchymal OR stem cell OR stromal vascular fraction OR bone marrow aspirate'. United States National Library of Medicine, ClinicalTrials.gov API v2, 2026. Link
  17. Harna B, et al. Current Role of Intra-Articular Injections of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Adhesive Capsulitis of Shoulder: A Systematic Review. Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland), 2022. Link
  18. Feltri P, et al. Platelet-rich plasma does not improve clinical results in patients with rotator cuff disorders but reduces the retear rate. A systematic review and meta-analysis. Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy, 2023. Link
  19. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Orthobiologics (Regenerative Medicine) FAQ. OrthoInfo, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 2026. Link

More joint and spine conditions.

All 18 conditions
KneeBack painArthritisHip

Get a free quote
for shoulder treatment.

Tell us what you want treated and when you want to go. We put you in touch with the clinic you choose.

Get a free quote