A multi-billion-dollar industry is growing around the idea that the body’s own cells can help repair what medicine still struggles to treat. However, as stem cell clinics continue to expand, the gap between what is being promised and what science can currently prove is also widening.
In 2010, Greg Novacheck, a former professional athlete, suffered a catastrophic hamstring injury. His biceps femoris, on the back of his thigh, tore completely in half, with a 10-centimeter retraction. The muscle separated into two distinct pieces, leaving a clearly visible and palpable divot. Multiple surgeons told him surgery was unlikely to succeed.
