What is The Role of Stem Cells in Treating Knee and Joint Pain

Stem cells are being used by doctors to treat knee and joint pain which can caused by several forms of arthritis. Stem cells are known to be able to become any type of cell. For the stem cells to be effective in treating joint and knee pain, they are usually combined with the patients platelets then injected to the joint where the pain is experienced. The stem cell usually turns into a new tissue which helps in improving the function of the joint and also reducing pain in the joints. Patients who have received this treatment have shown a noticeable improvement in the cartilage which thickens after some time, increase of repair tissue over the subchondral bone and decrease of the size of edematous subchondral patches.

This kind of treatment is commonly used for wear and tear arthritis of the knees but has also been used to treat the shoulder, hips, spine and the ankle.Some patients have been able to notice some improvement within three months with full benefits in one year.

Stem cells usually come from fat, bone marrow, placentas and blood.

The mesenchymal stem cell is the cell which is usually used because they are responsible for rebuilding and regeneration. The stem cell is usually derived from the patient’s own tissues therefore there are no risks of rejection.

The mesenchymal stems are also a potential source of cells for cell-based cartilage repair because of the ability to renew them and undergo multi-lineage differentiation.

The plasma-rich platelets (PRP) which is usually combined with stem cells acts as a booster for growth. The PRP also provides cells signals and nourishment to help the stem cells to flourish and develop into new joints, tendons, ligaments and several other parts of the body.

PRP also helps the stem cells to grow on their own inside the body and moves the stem cells to the area of the injury.

Stem cells treatments have been very successful and the treatment too has advantages over other forms of treatments such as surgical treatment. One of the advantages of stem cell treatment over surgical treatment is that there are no risks of surgery and disability. There have been no serious effects that have been reported when the procedures are performed.

When the procedure is completed the patients are advised to follow up treatments of PRP on monthly intervals so as the stem cells can work effectively.

Stem cells treatments are safe and can be repeated several times on a joint if necessary so as to achieve the optimal results.

Many doctors in the US have approved the use of stem cell in treating knee and joint pain. Christopher. J. Centeno MD of Bloomfield Colorado clinic says the results he has seen from stem cell treatment are remarkable. He says he has treated more than 200 patients over a two year period and two thirds of the patients have reported 50% relief and 40% have reported more than 75% relief after one to two years after the treatment.

According to him knees have high chances of healing than other joints such as hips. He says out of his total number of knee patients only 8% have opted for a total knee replacement two years after undergoing the stem cell injection.

Stem cells treatment has its advantages and advantages. Some of the advantages include:

• Quick Recovery: Most of the patients who have undergone the stem cell procedures are able to be up and moving within 24 hours. Some patients are able to perform some task such as cycling by the end of the first week after the treatment.
• Few Complications: Since stem cell treatment is a non-surgical procedure there are less chances of getting a complication compared to surgical procedures such as knee replacement surgery.

The disadvantages that can be associated with stem cell procedure are non- existent. Only one downside has been noted:

• The Cost of The Procedure: The stem cell injections are not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration therefore they are not covered by the insurance. A single pop can go for $4000 and in many cases the patients will require more than one shot. This means this form of treatment can be quite expensive especially that someone has to part with cash money.