Stem Cell Surgery for Vets Gets Federal Backing

"I was in such a bad place with my shoulder at that time; I knew anything could help," she said.

Said Muschler: "I'm always inspired by Monique in particular in the way she initially sought out care with the courage to be one of the first people to accept this technique and be willing to undergo it."

After Muschler explained the procedure, Biggins said it "made total sense" to her. "I thought 'it sounds great,'" she said. "Otherwise, I had nothing else to do."

Cleveland Clinic

Monique Biggins was one of the first people... View Full Caption

Monique Biggins was one of the first people to try orthopaedic stem cell surgery after she broke her collar bone in two places while playing softball. At left, her X-ray from 2002 shows a screw plate holding together the bone. After doctors applied a grout made of bone protein and Biggins' stem cells, a new, permanent, strong bone grew in place of the fractures. At right, Biggins' X-ray five years after surgery. Close

As for Muschler's part, "the way I explained this, we don't know if it's going to work any better, we don't know if it's going to work at all, although it seems to work in every place we've tested it so far."

And the results?

"It was a miracle," Biggins said. "It really was. Just like a miracle. Because you could see it in the X-ray, there's just like a gap, there's no bone, and then later on it's a solid bone."

Stem cells healed Biggins bones and turned her life around. The U.S. government is now banking that the same surgery that lets Biggins play softball and the piano will provide new hope to wounded veterans.