Overview
Sacramento occupies a distinctive position in California’s healthcare landscape. As the state capital and home to UC Davis Health — one of the nation’s top academic medical centers — the region attracts physicians who combine academic research with clinical practice. Patients seeking regenerative medicine in Sacramento have access to specialists who publish peer-reviewed research, train the next generation of sports medicine fellows, and serve as team physicians for professional sports franchises. This concentration of academic medicine alongside private-practice specialists gives Sacramento patients more rigorously credentialed options than most comparable-sized metro areas.
Patients pursue stem cell and regenerative therapies in Sacramento for a range of reasons, most commonly chronic musculoskeletal pain, orthopedic injuries that have not responded adequately to conservative care, and osteoarthritis of the knee, hip, or shoulder. Regenerative approaches such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP), bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC), and adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction (SVF) aim to harness the body’s own repair mechanisms rather than relying on corticosteroid injections or advancing to surgical intervention. For many patients, these therapies represent an intermediate step between failed conservative management and major surgery.
Clinics offering these services in the Sacramento area fall broadly into two categories. The first is the academic or hospital-affiliated practice, where the physician holds a faculty appointment, participates in clinical trials, and treats patients through an institutional referral network — UC Davis Health exemplifies this model. The second is the independent or private-practice specialist, who often offers more scheduling flexibility, personalized care coordination, and a narrower procedural focus on regenerative techniques. Both models can deliver high-quality care; the patient’s priorities — academic oversight vs. streamlined access — will shape which fits better.
When evaluating any regenerative medicine clinic in Sacramento, patients should verify three things before scheduling a consultation. First, confirm the physician holds an MD or DO degree and an active California medical license (searchable at the Medical Board of California, breeze.ca.gov). Second, confirm board certification in a relevant specialty such as Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Orthopaedic Surgery, or Sports Medicine through the American Board of Medical Specialties (abms.org) or the American Osteopathic Association. Third, ask specifically which product or technique will be used, where the biologic material is sourced, and whether the approach has been studied in peer-reviewed literature. Stem cell therapies vary widely in regulatory status; many are not FDA-approved for the specific indication proposed, and patients should understand this distinction before proceeding.
Top Stem Cell Therapy Clinics in Sacramento
1. The BIOS Orthopedic Institute
Address: 2277 Fair Oaks Blvd, Suite 415, Sacramento, CA 95825
Phone: (916) 418-4442
Website: https://thebiosinstitute.com
About: The BIOS Orthopedic Institute is a Sacramento-based interventional orthopedics and regenerative medicine practice founded by Dr. Alberto J. Panero, D.O. The practice concentrates exclusively on non-surgical, image-guided treatments that use the body’s own biological materials to promote healing in damaged joints, tendons, and spinal structures. Unlike general orthopedic practices that perform surgery and offer regenerative therapies as one option among many, BIOS is structured around orthobiologics as the core clinical focus, making it one of the most specialized regenerative medicine practices in the Sacramento region. The institute has an active research program and has collaborated with UC Davis on a Phase III clinical trial evaluating cellular therapy for knee osteoarthritis using SVF-2 technology; published results from that trial showed 88 percent of subjects responded above placebo at one year, with a median 87 percent improvement in pain metrics. Dr. Panero’s research has appeared in journals including the American Journal of Sports Medicine and Regenerative Medicine, and he is regularly invited to present at national orthopedic and sports medicine conferences. The practice operates a second location in Roseville at 576 N. Sunrise Ave, Suite 130 for patients in the broader Sacramento Valley corridor.
Physicians:
- Dr. Alberto J. Panero, D.O. — Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation with subspecialty certification in Sports Medicine. Dr. Panero earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine (2009) and completed his residency at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital. He is recognized internationally as an expert in orthobiologics and musculoskeletal ultrasound, serves as core faculty for the UC Davis PM&R Sports Medicine Fellowship, and is team physician for Sacramento State University Athletics, the Sacramento River Cats (Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants), and Sacramento Republic FC. He received the Caplan Excellence Award at the 16th Annual TOBI Symposium.
Services:
- Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections: Concentrated platelets drawn from the patient’s own blood are prepared and injected under ultrasound guidance to stimulate repair in tendons, joints, and ligaments.
- Autologous Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF) / Adipose-Derived Cellular Therapy: Using SVF-2 technology developed in collaboration with UC Davis, the practice harvests a patient’s fat tissue, isolates the cellular fraction, and delivers an autologous cellular implant under imaging guidance.
- Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC): Bone marrow drawn from the pelvis is concentrated to yield a preparation rich in mesenchymal stem cells and growth factors for injection into the target tissue.
- Intraosseous Injections: Biologics are delivered directly into bone to address subchondral pathology contributing to joint pain.
- Shockwave Therapy: Focused acoustic energy is applied to chronic tendinopathies to stimulate cellular repair activity.
- Musculoskeletal Ultrasound: Diagnostic and procedural ultrasound is used for both evaluation and image-guided injection accuracy.
- Bioactive Scaffolds: Used to support tissue regeneration in specific structural repair scenarios.
Conditions Treated:
- Knee osteoarthritis
- Hip osteoarthritis
- Shoulder injuries and tendinopathies
- Lower back pain and degenerative disc disease
- Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
- Tendonitis (rotator cuff, patellar, Achilles, and others)
- Sports medicine injuries
Technology and Equipment: The institute uses musculoskeletal ultrasound and fluoroscopy for precise image-guided delivery of all injectables. The SVF-2 platform (developed in partnership with UC Davis) enables same-day processing of autologous adipose-derived cellular implants in an outpatient setting.
Patient Experience: Patient reviews emphasize physician attentiveness, thorough evaluations, and a clear preference for minimally invasive approaches before recommending more aggressive interventions. Staff communication around next steps has been noted as a consistent strength.
2. Dr. Cassandra A. Lee, MD — UC Davis Health, Division of Sports Medicine
Address: 3301 C St, Suite 1600, Sacramento, CA 95816
Phone: (916) 734-6805
Website: https://www.cassandraleemd.com
About: Dr. Cassandra A. Lee practices regenerative and orthopedic sports medicine at UC Davis Health in Sacramento, where she holds the position of Chief of the Division of Sports Medicine and Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Her clinic at the UC Davis Cannery Building in midtown Sacramento offers stem cell therapy, PRP, bone marrow aspirate concentrate, and prolotherapy within the full clinical and imaging infrastructure of an academic medical center — meaning patients have access to advanced MRI, lab processing, and subspecialty referral pathways in a single system. Dr. Lee is widely regarded as one of the top orthopedic sports medicine physicians in Northern California and is a recognized expert in cartilage preservation, a specialty particularly relevant to patients considering biological therapies to delay or avoid joint replacement. Her academic position means that her clinical practice is grounded in current peer-reviewed evidence, and patients treated at UC Davis benefit from oversight protocols typical of a major research institution. A second clinical location is available at the UC Davis Edwards Family Athletic Center in Davis, CA (1120 Hutchinson Drive; phone 530-702-2000) for patients in the broader Davis-Sacramento corridor.
Physicians:
- Dr. Cassandra A. Lee, MD — Board certified in Orthopaedic Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. Dr. Lee received her B.A. and M.D. from Boston University School of Medicine (2001), completed her orthopaedic surgery residency at North Carolina Baptist Hospital/Wake Forest University (2004-2008), and her sports medicine fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis (2008-2009), where she served as team physician for the St. Louis Rams, St. Louis Blues, and Washington University Bears. She was awarded the ICRS-Zimmer Scholarship (2013) and the Lars Petersen Travelling Fellowship (2017). She currently serves as team physician for Sacramento Republic FC and the UC Davis Aggies.
Services:
- Stem Cell Therapy / BMAC (Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate): Autologous stem cells are harvested from the patient’s bone marrow, concentrated, and injected into damaged joint or soft tissue under imaging guidance to stimulate repair.
- Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy: A concentrated preparation of the patient’s own platelets and growth factors is injected into injured tissue to accelerate healing and reduce inflammation. Offered for both acute sports injuries and chronic tendinopathies.
- Prolotherapy: A regenerative injection technique using a dextrose-based solution to stimulate the body’s repair response in ligaments and tendons, often used as an adjunct or alternative to PRP.
- Autologous Cell Therapy: A combined protocol drawing platelets from blood and stem cells from bone marrow, which are then co-injected into the injury site using advanced imaging guidance.
- Cartilage Regeneration: Dr. Lee specializes in cartilage preservation procedures including osteochondral allograft transplantation and autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) — the most advanced surgical cartilage repair options available — as well as biological injections for earlier-stage cartilage damage.
- Arthroscopic Procedures: Knee and shoulder arthroscopy with meniscal repair, ligament reconstruction, and rotator cuff repair, including complex multiligamentous knee reconstruction.
Conditions Treated:
- Knee cartilage defects and osteoarthritis
- Meniscal tears
- ACL, PCL, and multiligament knee injuries
- Rotator cuff tears and shoulder instability
- Tendinopathies (patellar, Achilles, rotator cuff)
- Hip labral tears
- General sports-related musculoskeletal injuries
Technology and Equipment: Procedures are performed within the UC Davis Health system, which provides access to high-field MRI, fluoroscopy, and advanced arthroscopic instrumentation. Imaging and lab work are processed through the UC Davis academic medical center infrastructure.
Insurance and Pricing: As a UC Davis Health faculty physician, Dr. Lee accepts most major insurance plans including those in the UC Davis Health network. Patients should verify coverage directly with UC Davis Health patient services at (800) 282-3284.
3. Revolution Orthopedics — Dr. Sean P. Robinson, MD
Address: 13405 Folsom Blvd, Suite 300, Sacramento, CA 95630
Phone: (916) 689-8441
Website: https://www.seanrobinsonmd.com
About: Revolution Orthopedics is a private orthopedic and sports medicine practice founded by Dr. Sean P. Robinson, MD, serving patients across Sacramento, Elk Grove, Roseville, and Folsom. The practice offers a full spectrum of orthopedic care from arthroscopic surgery to regenerative medicine, making it well suited for patients who want a single specialist capable of managing their condition conservatively with biologics first and surgically if necessary. Dr. Robinson was born and raised in Sacramento, trained at elite programs on both coasts, and returned to the region to build a practice grounded in evidence-based sports medicine. His regenerative medicine program uses PRP, bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC), autologous cell therapy (combined blood and bone marrow), and adipose-derived fat cell injections — all guided by advanced imaging to ensure precise delivery. The practice serves a broad patient demographic ranging from recreational athletes to post-surgical patients seeking biological adjuncts to accelerate healing. With offices accessible from multiple Sacramento-area communities and a Monday-through-Friday schedule, Revolution Orthopedics is among the more accessible full-service regenerative medicine practices in the region.
Physicians:
- Dr. Sean P. Robinson, MD — Board certified in Orthopaedic Surgery. Dr. Robinson graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in Pharmacology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and earned his M.D. from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency through the San Francisco Orthopedic Residency Program and his sports medicine fellowship at the Cedars Sinai — Kerlan Jobe Institute, one of the most prestigious sports medicine training programs in the United States, where he served as team physician for the Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Galaxy, Los Angeles Sparks, and Loyola Marymount University.
Services:
- PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) Therapy: Blood is drawn, processed to concentrate platelets, and injected into the damaged tissue — either as a standalone outpatient procedure or as an adjunct following surgical repair — to enhance healing and reduce inflammation.
- BMAC / Stem Cell Therapy: Bone marrow is aspirated from the pelvis, concentrated to yield a preparation rich in mesenchymal stem cells and growth factors, and injected into the target site to promote musculoskeletal repair.
- Autologous Cell Therapy: A combined protocol in which platelets isolated from blood and stem cells isolated from bone marrow are co-administered into the injury site using advanced imaging guidance for maximum precision.
- Adipose Tissue Therapy: Fat cells harvested from the patient are processed and injected for their regenerative and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Prolotherapy: Regenerative injection therapy using a proliferant solution to stimulate connective tissue repair in ligaments and tendons.
- Arthroscopic Surgery: Knee, hip, shoulder, and elbow arthroscopy including UCL (Tommy John) reconstruction, hip preservation, rotator cuff repair, and complex shoulder instability correction.
- Joint Replacement: Shoulder, knee, and hip arthroplasty including anterior approach hip replacement for patients who have progressed beyond biological management.
Conditions Treated:
- Hip labral tears and impingement
- UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) injuries
- Rotator cuff tears and shoulder instability
- ACL, meniscal, and knee ligament injuries
- Tendinopathies (Achilles, patellar, rotator cuff, elbow)
- Osteoarthritis of the knee, hip, and shoulder
- Fractures and general orthopedic trauma
Insurance and Pricing: Dr. Robinson accepts Blue Cross Blue Shield, UnitedHealthCare, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of California, Cigna, and Anthem Blue Cross, among other major plans. Patients should call (916) 689-8441 to confirm current insurance participation before scheduling.
What to Know Before Choosing a Stem Cell Clinic in Sacramento
Before committing to a regenerative medicine consultation in Sacramento, patients benefit from preparing a short list of specific questions. Ask the physician directly: what biologic product or technique will be used, where is the source material drawn from (your own body, a donor, or a commercial allograft), what peer-reviewed evidence exists for this treatment applied to your specific diagnosis, and whether this approach is FDA-cleared or FDA-approved for your condition versus used under the physician’s clinical judgment. Many regenerative therapies — including most stem cell injections for orthopedic conditions — are used off-label or under investigational frameworks, and an ethical clinic will explain this without obscuring it. Patients should be wary of clinics that promise specific outcome percentages, discourage questions about evidence, or recommend aggressive treatment packages before conducting a thorough physical examination and reviewing imaging.
Imaging and laboratory workup are non-negotiable prerequisites for a credible regenerative medicine evaluation. A responsible provider will review recent MRI or musculoskeletal ultrasound of the affected area before proposing biological therapy, not after. In Sacramento, this is straightforward: UC Davis Health, Sutter Health, and Dignity Health all maintain imaging facilities with short turnaround times, and most of the specialist practices listed above either conduct in-house ultrasound or work with a preferred imaging partner. If a clinic proposes stem cell or PRP treatment without reviewing relevant imaging, that is a significant warning sign. Laboratory workup is particularly relevant for systemic conditions — patients with autoimmune disease, active malignancy, or anticoagulation therapy may not be candidates, and a clinic that does not screen for these contraindications is cutting corners on safety.
Board certification verification is the minimum credential check every Sacramento patient should perform. The Medical Board of California license lookup at breeze.ca.gov confirms whether a physician holds an active California license and whether any disciplinary actions are on record. Board certification can be verified at abms.org (for MD physicians) or the American Osteopathic Association website (for DO physicians). In regenerative medicine specifically, the relevant primary certifications are in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Orthopaedic Surgery, Sports Medicine, or Pain Medicine — not general practice or unrelated specialties. Several commercial “stem cell clinic” operations exist nationally and in California that route patients to physicians with limited musculoskeletal training; the Sacramento clinics featured in this directory were selected specifically because the treating physicians hold verifiable specialty board certification in disciplines directly relevant to the conditions being treated.
Finally, understand the distinction between autologous and allogeneic biologics before consenting to treatment. Autologous biologics — PRP, BMAC, and SVF drawn from your own blood, bone marrow, or fat — carry a different regulatory and risk profile than allogeneic products derived from donor tissue, umbilical cord, or amniotic fluid. Allogeneic products are regulated as biologics by the FDA under Section 351 of the Public Health Service Act and require an approved Biologics License Application for therapeutic use. Many commercial allogeneic “stem cell” products marketed to patients have not demonstrated live stem cell activity in independent testing and are not FDA-approved for the therapeutic claims made. In Sacramento, the strongest allogeneic oversight comes from within an academic medical center framework like UC Davis, where institutional review processes apply. Patients considering any allogeneic product outside that framework should ask for the product’s FDA registration number and independently confirm its regulatory status at fda.gov before proceeding.
Disclaimer: This directory is for informational purposes only. Inclusion does not constitute endorsement. Clinic information, physician credentials, addresses, and phone numbers are based on publicly available sources as of February 2026 and may change. Verify all details directly with each clinic before scheduling. Consult a licensed physician before pursuing any stem cell, PRP, or regenerative medicine treatment. Many regenerative therapies are not FDA-approved for specific orthopedic indications.