If you live with back or joint pain, you’ve probably heard every promise—steroid injections, physical therapy cycles, surgeries big and small. Millions of Americans wake up every day believing pain is simply part of their life now.
But in an innovative advanced medical center in Northern Colorado, something very different is happening.
Patients who have tried everything are walking out with hope again. People who were told surgery was their only option, are finding alternatives. And many who lived with daily pain for years are reclaiming the ability to work, travel, exercise, play with their kids, and feel like themselves again.
They’re all traveling to Johnstown, Colorado—many from across the country—to see one man:
Dr. E. Jeffrey Donner.
With more than 35 years of experience and his patented regenerative procedure you won’t find anywhere else in the United States, Dr. Donner is quietly transforming what’s possible for people with spine and joint damage. His clinic, Elite Regenerative Stem Cell Specialists at the Colorado Spine Institute, has become a destination for patients who have lost hope… and for those determined to reclaim their quality of life.
His personal experience with multiple orthopedic injuries, pain procedures, surgeries and finally regenerative medicine solutions has enhanced his drive to improve the science of natural healing.
What makes him different isn’t just the fact that he’s performed tens of thousands of surgeries and pain procedures. It’s that he’s also one of the few surgeons who stepped back and asked a pioneering question:
“What if we could help the body heal itself?”
That question led him down a scientific path that now spans continents. Dr. Donner travels the world speaking on stem cell therapy, regenerative biologics, and the emerging frontier of minimally invasive healing. From international conferences in Europe and Asia as well as elite symposiums in the U.S., he is recognized as a leader in a field that is redefining orthopedic and spine care.
Dr Donner and his team have done groundbreaking research in his clinic's own research institute he established along with leaders in the regenerative medicine which has been published in some of the highest ranked scientific journals in the world.
These accomplishments have led to groundbreaking innovations and to prestigious invitations to present his research and clinical outcomes at many high level international conferences including the Vall Scientific Summit, International Society for Knee Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine, Osteoarthritis Research Society International, Orthopedic Research Society, American Spine Injury Association, North American Spine Society, Sacroiliac Medical Expert Group where he was also past president. He was also recently requested to participate on the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons regenerative medicine symposium in March 2026 and is preparing a requested manuscript for the Cells journal's special edition: Stem Cells in Action- Unlocking the Potential of Next-Generation Therapies along with co author Johnny Huard PhD at the Steadman Philippon Research Institute (SPRI) in Vail. He is also preparing collaborative research grants with the Translational Medicine Institute at CSU Veterinary School and SPRI.
This is truly an unstoppable Revolution in Evolution!
A Surgeon With a Global Voice and Local Roots
Dr. Donner has spent more than three decades as a spine specialist in Northern Colorado, taking on complex cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacroiliac disorders—along with major joint injuries throughout the body. He is dual board certified in orthopedic and spine surgery by the American Boards of Orthopedic and Spine Surgery, fellowship-trained in spinal and orthopedic disorders. This dual distinction places him among an elite group of surgeons nationwide.
Elite Regenerative: Where Innovation Meets Real Results
In 2014, Dr. Donner founded the Colorado Spine Institute in Johnstown. Soon after, he launched Elite Regenerative Stem Cell Specialists, the first stem-cell-focused regenerative clinic in the U.S. led by a dual board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic spine surgeon.
Elite focuses on adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)—your body’s master repair cells. These cells are harvested from a patient’s own bone marrow and carefully reintroduced into damaged joints, discs, ligaments, and soft tissues to support natural healing.
The Only U.S. Surgeon Using a Patented Stem Cell Harvesting Technique
Dr. Donner is the co-inventor of U.S. Patent No. 11,655,454, a breakthrough method and apparatus designed to dramatically improve how MSCs are collected and concentrated from bone marrow.
Unlike standard bone marrow draws, this patented approach:
- Targets microenvironments where stem cells are most plentiful
- Maximizes the purity and viability of the cells
- Removes material that could impair healing
- Produces a uniquely high-quality biologic mixture for treatment
Elite is the only clinic in the country using this patented technique.
Dr. Donner and his research partners also developed a proprietary bone-marrow–derived biologic called BMAX™, designed to support stem cell survival and adhesion at injury sites. Their internal data covers roughly 5000 procedures across 30 musculoskeletal conditions, with patient satisfaction at 96% and an average 70% improvement at 6 months.
This innovation is the reason patients travel from all over the United States for Elite’s procedures. Many come after exhausting options in their home states. Others come because they’ve heard about life-changing results from friends, family, or medical referrals.
Changing Lives, One Patient at a Time
The stories are powerful.
A grandmother told she needed fusion surgery regained mobility through Elite’s patented stem cell procedure. A former athlete sidelined by SI joint pain returned to training. Business owners, ranchers, teachers, and travelers have shared how they got their lives back—sometimes after being told nothing more could be done.
Elite tracks outcomes closely, allowing them to refine and improve treatment plans. While not every patient is a candidate—and severe neurological deficits often still require surgery—the regenerative pathway offers new hope to those who once felt out of options.
For access to journals, links, and an array of stem cell knowledge please visit EliteRegen.org and ColoSpine.com.
The Beauty Side of Regeneration: Elite’s Stem Cell Med Spa
What many Northern Colorado residents don’t know is that the same cutting-edge regenerative science being used to repair spines and joints is also transforming beauty and skincare.
At the Elite Regenerative Med Spa, the team has brought stem cell technology into the aesthetic world in a way few clinics in the country are doing.
A Destination for Healing, Beauty, and Whole-Body Regeneration
Dr. Donner and his team are doing more than treating pain—they’re creating a regenerative hub where medical expertise, scientific invention, and aesthetic innovation come together under one roof.
From internationally recognized stem cell procedures…
To life-changing spine and joint treatments…
To a Med Spa using stem cells in ways the beauty world rarely sees…
Elite Regenerative Stem Cell Specialists is setting a new standard for what’s possible.
For patients searching for answers, for hope, or simply for the chance to feel like themselves again, this clinic in Johnstown is offering something extraordinary:
A chance at real, regenerative healing—inside and out.
Amber Denzel: Leading the Next Wave of Regenerative Aesthetics
Under the leadership of Amber Denzel, the Med Spa is pioneering advanced treatments that blend aesthetics with biologic science. Amber has been instrumental in designing protocols that merge stem cell science with cosmetic procedures—offering patients regenerative tools that go far beyond surface-level beauty.
- Stem-cell–infused microneedling for collagen regeneration
- Stem-cell topical therapies paired with RF Microneedling
- Advanced anti-aging procedures that use biologic signals, high frequency and shock wave to improve skin texture, elasticity, and tone
- Regenerative hair restoration for thinning or damaged hair
- Post-surgical or post-injury skin recovery protocols that speed healing and reduce scarring
These treatments use the same biologic principles Dr. Donner employs in orthopedic care—encouraging the body to rebuild, repair, and regenerate.