Avoiding Knee Replacement Surgery with Stem Cell Therapy

fluoroscope of knee under treatment

Mesenchymal stem cells in health and disease :
Nature Reviews Immunology

Stem Cells Arthritis Treatment

How to Avoid Knee Replacement Surgery with Stem Cell Therapy

Modern techniques in today’s medicine allows us to withdraw stem cells from bone marrow, concentrate them through a lab process and then re-inject them precisely into the injured tissues in other areas of the body using advanced imaging guidance. Through Fluoroscopy and MSK Ultrasound, we’re able to ensure the cells are being introduced into the exact area of need. When the stem cells are re-injected, they enhance the natural repair process of degenerated and injured tendons, ligaments, and arthritic joints – Turning the tables on the natural breakdown process that occurs from aging, overuse and injury.

Stem Cell therapy is an effective treatment for painful knee conditions which can replace knee replacement surgery in many patients. It is also a proven therapy since published research shows positive results in its use for treating knees damaged by degenerative changes and trauma. Even
patients with bone on bone arthritis in whom almost all the cartilage in the joint has been destroyed, have been shown to have significant improvement with this form of treatment.


Stem Cell therapy involves obtaining stem cells which can develop into new bone and cartilage tissue from the patient’s own bone marrow and concentrating them in the lab. This bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) together with Lipo (fat) aspirate, platelet rich plasma (PRP) and dextrose Prolotherapy (which is known as the Gold Standard for this treatment) is then injected back into the patient’s knee joint where they boost the body’s natural healing process. This therapy therefore aims at regenerating cartilage and other damaged tissues in the arthritic or injured joint instead of removing them.

Related/Background:

• Intra-articular injection of mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of osteoarthritis
  of the knee: a proof-of-concept clinical trial. - PubMed - NCBI
  Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are known to have a potential for articular cartilage regeneration. However, most studies focused on focal cartilage defect through surgical implantation. For the treatment of generalized cartilage loss in osteoarthritis, an alternative delivery strategy would be more appropriate. The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of intra-articular injection of autologous adipose tissue derived MSCs (AD-MSCs) for knee osteoarthritis. We enrolled 18 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee and injected AD MSCs into the knee. The phase I study consists of three dose-escalation cohorts; the low-dose (1.0 × 10(7) cells), mid-dose (5.0 × 10(7)), and high-dose (1.0 × 10(8)) group with three patients each. The phase II included nine patients receiving the high-dose. The primary outcomes were the safety and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included clinical, radiological, arthroscopic, and histological evaluations. There was no treatment-related adverse event. The WOMAC score improved at 6 months after injection in the high-dose group. The size of cartilage defect decreased while the volume of cartilage increased in the medial femoral and tibial condyles of the high-dose group. Arthroscopy showed that the size of cartilage defect decreased in the medial femoral and medial tibial condyles of the high-dose group. Histology demonstrated thick, hyaline-like cartilage regeneration. These results showed that intra-articular injection of 1.0 × 10(8) AD MSCs into the osteoarthritic knee improved function and pain of the knee joint without causing adverse events, and reduced cartilage defects by regeneration of hyaline-like articular cartilage.
• Stem cell application for osteoarthritis in the knee joint: A minireview
  Knee osteoarthritis is a chronic, indolent disease that will affect an ever increasing number of patients, especially the elderly and the obese. It is characterized by degeneration of the cartilage substance inside the knee which leads to pain, stiffness and tenderness. By some estimations in 2030, only in the United States, this medical condition will burden 67 million people. While conventional treatments like physiotherapy or drugs offer temporary relief of clinical symptoms, restoration of normal cartilage function has been difficult to achieve. Moreover, in severe cases of knee osteoarthritis total knee replacement may be required. Total knee replacements come together with high effort and costs and are not always successful. The aim of this review is to outline the latest advances in stem cell therapy for knee osteoarthritis as well as highlight some of the advantages of stem cell therapy over traditional approaches aimed at restoration of cartilage function in the knee. In addition to the latest advances in the field, challenges associated with stem cell therapy regarding knee cartilage regeneration and chondrogenesis in vitro and in vivo are also outlined and analyzed. Furthermore, based on their critical assessment of the present academic literature the authors of this review share their vision about the future of stem cell applications in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.
• Current perspectives in stem cell research for knee cartilage repair
  Protocols based on the delivery of stem cells are currently applied in patients, showing encouraging results for the treatment of articular cartilage lesions (focal defects, osteoarthritis). Yet, restoration of a fully functional cartilage surface (native structural organization and mechanical functions) especially in the knee joint has not been reported to date, showing the need for improved designs of clinical trials. Various sources of progenitor cells are now available, originating from adult tissues but also from embryonic or reprogrammed tissues, most of which have already been evaluated for their chondrogenic potential in culture and for their reparative properties in vivo upon implantation in relevant animal models of cartilage lesions. Nevertheless, particular attention will be needed regarding their safe clinical use and their potential to form a cartilaginous repair tissue of proper quality and functionality in the patient. Possible improvements may reside in the use of biological supplements in accordance with regulations, while some challenges remain in establishing standardized, effective procedures in the clinics.
• Regenexx Knee Procedure | Health Link Medical Center 
• Stem Cell Therapy for Knee Injuries and Arthritis - StemCell ARTS
• Peter A Fields, MD DC - Chiropractors - Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA - Reviews - Photos - Yelp