It is a procedure that is most commonly associated with high-dose chemotherapy to treat cancer patients.
Stem cell treatment is one of the most valuable tools in medical science and is now used in the world of sports to aid in injury recovery.
Tom Curry has used a pioneering stem cell procedure over the festive period to rebuild the cartilage in his hip.
According to Sale's coach Alex Sanderson, the England flanker underwent the procedure with a long-term view to being fit for the 2027 World Cup.
Mail Sport spoke to Curry's surgeon Damian Griffin, who explained how the procedure could be at the forefront of sports science by 2025.
“The need to repair cartilage is seen as increasingly important in sports,” Griffin said. 'We see many rugby players and footballers with this problem.
England star Tom Curry (pictured) underwent stem cell procedure to prolong his career
Golf icon Tiger Woods also underwent stem cell treatment to recover from his injuries
Basketball legend Steph Curry has also used the same treatment to stay at the top of his game.
'There are several ways athletes can damage the cartilage lining of the joint – the smooth, shiny surface seen on the end of the chicken thigh bone. Having two layers of that next to each other is what gives you a very smooth moving joint.
'It's a problem where the ball of the hip doesn't fit properly into the socket, so it's like having a square peg in a round hole. As a result, a portion of cartilage within the socket wears down. You end up with a patch that could be the size of a postage stamp and is completely basic. We try to fill that with something and that's where we can use some cells from another part of the body that become cartilage cells, helping to repair that damage.
'It's done a lot with the knee joint, but it's a little more unusual with the hip because it's quite difficult to get to the hip with minimally invasive surgery. Andy Murray had a problem with his hip, but the cartilage couldn't be repaired, so it eventually wore down, to the point where he had to have a hip replacement. Metal pieces to replace damaged cartilage in the kneecap and socket. It is an example of what we are trying to detect a little earlier and prevent it from happening.”
In the United States, people like Steph Curry and Tiger Woods have already used forms of stem cell treatment.
So how does the procedure actually work? The operation takes around four hours and the recovery period can be short, with Curry already back in action for Sale for his notable defensive stand against Bristol last week.
“We can take the stem cells from the bone marrow, usually by inserting a needle into the pelvis and suctioning out the marrow,” Griffin said. 'We could take 100 ml of bone marrow fluid and separate 3 ml of stem cells. Another place we can remove them from is fat, like a more delicate liposuction method. Both are commonly used in athletes.
'We also have a technique called microfracture where we drill very small holes into the surface of the exposed bone, where the cartilage is missing. This allows the cells under the joint to move up through these small holes into the repair area. It is a technique that has been around for quite some time and is used for the treatment of the knee.
“Sometimes we simply inject the cells into the joint and other times we embed them in a scaffold. You can use a mesh or foam to place over the defect, glue it in place, and fill it with stem cells. The felt is made of collagen. It is woven into a small mat, cut into place and glued into place. It is loaded with stem cells that react as if they were in a joint and turn into cartilage. We often combine all of these techniques together. “If we can help the body heal using natural materials that are already in the body, that must be a good thing.”
Tom Curry returned to action last week after recovering remarkably quickly from his treatment.
The England rugby team is the player body created by national team stars including Joe Marler (left), who recently retired, and Jamie George.
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Strong competition for Chief Performance Officer position
More than 50 candidates have applied for the Team England Rugby Ltd Performance Director role.
TER is the players' body set up by players such as Jamie George, Joe Marler and Ellis Genge to represent the collective rights on and off the field of England internationals.
The role, which is independent of the RFU, involves monitoring athlete management programs as the sport attempts to build a new working relationship between club and country.
Offers to be made for sale
Sale are gearing up for a bumper month of contract news, with the likes of Tom Roebuck, Arron Read and Luke Cowan-Dickie set to extend their stay at the club.
Alex Sanderson is stepping up his retention plans for next season, with Jonny Hill among the players fighting for a new contract.
Scrum-half Raffi Quirke has attracted interest from rival clubs such as Harlequins, while heavyweight forward Jean-Luc du Preez is wanted in France.
Tom Roebuck has broken into the England squad and is set to extend his stay at Sale
Tying in Raffi Quirke may be trickier as he is attracting interest from elsewhere
Maher's debut is unmissable
Bristol are on course to welcome a crowd of 10,000 for Ilona Maher's debut against Hartpury on Sunday.
The American rugby superstar arrived in the UK this week to begin a three-month contract in the Women's Premiership.
With more followers on social media than the likes of Siya Kolisi and Antoine Dupont, his arrival has unsurprisingly led to an increase in ticket sales.
Ilona Maher (pictured) is now a global superstar and a huge crowd is expected to see her debut in Bristol this weekend.
Sausage surprise for exultant Exeter
Rob Baxter handed out a rare bonus to his Exeter players after they finally ended their losing streak.
The Chiefs earned their first win since May with a 22-15 victory over Gloucester on Sunday. Your reward? Extra sausages for breakfast.
“There's a nice spark, the players get an extra breakfast when we win, which they like,” Baxter said.
'We treat New Year's a little differently to Christmas – we just overlook it. “I told the guys to go up, have a beer and celebrate the win after the game.”