Dr. Brice Blatz has always been a West Coaster, growing up in Saratoga, California. He knew early on that he wanted to pursue a career in medicine, with his dad’s profession sparking an interest in him.
As he grew older, he became interested in the role surgery played in medicine, but realized it was mainly about attaching two parts together. He became aware that this lacked appreciation of HOW the body healed. Thus, a career in regenerative medicine was born.
Fast Facts:
Name: Dr. Brice Blatz
Education:
- O’Connor Hospital (Stanford University Medical School Affiliated), Sports Medicine Fellowship
- University of Nevada School of Medicine, Family Medicine Residency
- University of Southern California Orthopedics, Research Fellow in Stem Cell Medicine
- Santa Monica Orthopedic and Sports Medicine, Research Fellow
- Grand Rapids Medical Education and Research Center/Michigan State University, General Surgery Internship
- Chicago Medical School, M.D.
- Rosalind Franklin University of Health Sciences, M.S. in Applied Physiology
- Northwestern University, B.A
Deep Background in Sports and Regenerative Medicine
Dr. Blatz’s interest in regenerative medicine continued to blossom when he became a stem cell medicine research assistant for Dr. Thomas Vangsness in the Department of Orthopedics at the University of Southern California, a university at the forefront of stem cell medicine.
After graduating from his residency program in family medicine, Dr. Blatz completed a sports medicine fellowship at Stanford University. As a fellow, he expanded the use of musculoskeletal ultrasound and image-guided procedures in the program. After his fellowship year, he joined the Stanford faculty in the sports medicine department where he established the ultrasound and interventional orthopedic curriculum.
Dr. Blatz brought this deep experience to his new practice in San Jose, which he started with his father. The two pioneered the crossover care of orthopedic surgery and image-guided regenerative medicine to provide expansive care options for patients.
As a prominent regenerative medicine specialist in the Bay Area, he had the opportunity to see first-hand the interplay of medicine and athletics. Playing multiple sports himself growing up led to multiple orthopedic injuries for Dr. Blatz, and these experiences left an indelible mark. When he graduated from medical school he gravitated toward the more molecular basis of healing, which led him to the world of regenerative medicine and interventional orthopedics. Regenerative medicine allows Dr. Blatz to explore and utilize the body’s natural healing properties, while challenging him to position these properties in the most effective way possible.
Q&A with Dr. Blatz
We sat down with Dr. Blatz to get some answers to frequently asked patient questions.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Blatz, give us a call at 503-535-8302 or send us an email!
Let’s start with something fun – why Portland?
I had an amazing time visiting Portland 10 years ago. Ever since then, I have always considered it a place I would love to live. My wife also has extended family in Portland and the outlying areas, so that was a draw for us as well. All of that combined with the incredible opportunity to be part of a practice like RestorePDX made it an easy choice!
Tell us a bit of background about your practice in California and how that will help patients here in Portland?
I am a very procedural-based practitioner focused in musculoskeletal (MSK) regeneration, orthobiologic, and regenerative therapies. I specialize in collaborative, individualized treatment plans. You could even say I wrote the book on MSK as I created the MSK curriculum for the Stanford Sports Medicine Fellowship Program, training fellows on ultrasound, ultrasound-guided procedures, and orthobiologic applications.
What pieces of technology do you utilize? What is your favorite piece of technology? And why?
I will be bringing to RestorePDX one of my favorite new treatment options – extracorporeal shockwave therapy, or ESWT. There are two different machines I use that provide two distinct types of shockwave. This allows for a huge variety of applications and combination therapy for conditions such as tendon disease, ligament tears, and arthritis all in a completely non-invasive manner. Even if you have had ESWT in the past, I am confident I can bring an entirely new personalized approach to this exciting technology.
Wow, ESWT – that is incredible. Can you tell us more?
The two ESWT versions – focused and radial pressure wave – are usually utilized in combination for tendinosis, tendon tears, ligament dysfunction and pain, muscular trigger points, neuropathy, neuromas, arthritis, subchondral bone marrow edema, stress fractures, Salter-Harris abnormalities and calcific tendinosis
I am a strong supporter of incorporating ESWT for the majority of biologic cases I perform as an activator and /or resolution of associated trigger points/soft tissue involvement.
You also specialize in in-office arthroscopy. Can you explain what that is?
Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure on a joint in which an examination and sometimes treatment of damage is performed using an arthroscope – an endoscope that is inserted into the joint through a small incision. It can be used to directly identify and treat injuries of the meniscus, cartilage, ACL, and PCL that would otherwise be difficult with x-ray or ultrasound. It’s a fantastic addition to the RestorePDX toolkit of non-surgical procedures.
What are some lesser known regenerative medicine techniques you’d like to bring to RestorePDX?
- Barbotage and aspiration of calcific lesions – for treatment ofrotator cuff and other tendonitis issues
- Hydrodissection of nerves, myofascial planes, ligaments – for neuritis, neuropathy, and ligament injuries
- Hydrodilation of joints for adhesive capsulitis – to help with frozen shoulder and other frozen joints
- TenJet, tendon-scraping with or without tenotomy – for treating Achilles tendon, tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, jumper’s knee, and plantar fasciitis
In addition to bettering the daily lives of Portland residents, what career goals do you have for yourself?
Eventually, I want to resume research – ideally with a full-time, in house research assistant – so I can continue to advance this field for the people who so desperately could benefit from this type of regenerative work. It’s immensely valuable to be involved with conferences, thus I try to present at three to four national and international conferences.
Within RestorePDX, I want to continue to position us as the pre-eminent “go-to” facility for all the biologic/regenerative needs of local and regional professional and semi-professional athletes.
What do you do in your free time?
My wife and I met as freshmen at Northwestern University. Go CATS! As such, Chicago is still a mainstay in our yearly travel plans. We have two beautiful young daughters that keep us happy and busy. We love exploring the outdoors with hikes and bike rides during the warmer months and hitting the slopes during the winter. Though I have tried, I have not been able to convince the rest of my family to get out and play as many rounds of golf as I would like. I am still holding out hope though!