Kevin R. Stone

Kevin Robert Stone (born June 4, 1955) is an American physician, orthopedic surgeon, clinician, researcher, and company founder of The Stone Clinic and the Stone Research Foundation in San Francisco.

Stone’s most notable inventions have led to:

* the Collagen Meniscus Implant, the first successful and commercialized tissue-engineering template for re-growing the meniscus cartilage in the knee. This invention led to a public company, ReGen Biologics Inc. * the first glucosamine beverage, Joint Juice, which gained wide distribution through the United States selling over 1/3 billion cans and bottles for people with arthritis. This company has been sold to Post Holdings. * the first stem cell articular cartilage repair procedure called Articular Cartilage Paste Grafting which in long-term studies have demonstrated an 80% success rate at improving pain and function for people with arthritis. * the three-tunnel technique of Meniscus Transplantation which has been demonstrated to be effective for people who want remain active and avoid a total knee replacement. * the Rescue Reel, a personal escape device to permit people to escape from buildings as high as 100 stories. * the Z-Process, an antigen stripping technique that humanizes animal tissues. The process allows the tissues to be implanted in people leading to the first successful xenograft ligament for ACL reconstruction called the Z-Lig. This device received CE mark approval for sale outside the US after completing a wide clinical trial in Europe and South Africa. Multiple other inventions using the Z-Process include antigen reduced Z- meniscus, bone, articular cartilage, heart valves, collagen injection, soft tissue reconstruction devices, and other applications.

Stone’s clinical work has focused on repairing and replacing meniscus, articular cartilage, and ligaments to keep people active. His busy clinic treats people from around world who come for biologic joint and tissue repair and robotic artificial knee replacement.

Stone’s public, non-profit foundation, the Stone Research Foundation, focuses on basic science and outcome studies that are mainly concentrated on cures for arthritis and techniques to speed the return of athletes to sports.

Stone is the past winner of the Resident’s Essay Award from the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA) (1989), The Cabaud Award from the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), and The Albert Trillat Young Investigator’s Award from the International Knee Society (ISAKOS) (1989) and a Doctor of Humane Letters, honaris causa, from the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology.

His research has led to multiple peer-reviewed publications and over 50 US patents.

Stone is a weekly columnist for the San Francisco Examiner. He is also a regular blogger for [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-r-stone-md/ The Huffington Post]

Stone is an American orthopedic surgeon, who specializes in sports medicine and injuries of the knee, shoulder, and ankle joints. He has lectured and is recognized internationally as an authority on cartilage and meniscal growth, replacement, and repair. Stone is known for his development of the paste grafting surgical technique in 1991, combined with meniscus replacement, which are biologic joint replacement procedures for the regeneration of the knee joint. He has taught these techniques to surgeons in the US and worldwide.

He is the founder and chairman of the Stone Research Foundation for Sports Medicine and Arthritis, a center that conducts research in advanced surgical techniques and tissue regeneration in San Francisco, California. This research has led to advancements in cartilage replacement and regeneration, cruciate ligament repair and reconstruction, and techniques to prevent osteoarthritic degeneration. He holds more than 50 U.S. patents on healthcare inventions. Provided by Wikipedia