Hi All:
I am curious if anyone has tried stem cell therapy for a bad knee. As I have researched it, this consists of injecting stem cells from the hip into the knee to either help re-grow or otherwise cushion the knee. I have a severely arthritic knee (bone on bone) which dates from having torn cartilage and an operation for it back in the stone age of surgery (1977 when I was 16). I had another operation on it in 1998 and about 3 years ago it seems that all remaining cartilage or any other cushioning disappeared. I tried an injection of synthetic cartilage after this, but it didn't help the situation.
I'd like to try all options before thinking about a knee replacement and, from what I read, this treatment seems promising. But it appears to be rather new, so if anyone has tried it with success, I would like to hear about it. I haven't been able to do breaststroke in 3 years, which is kind of a bummer for a life long breaststroker. I was given feet that point out naturally, but a bum knee to go along with them.
Please let me know if you've tried this, where you went and what the results have been.
I have a friend in Australia who underwent that procedure last October. By January he was back running, saying, "Went for my first 50 year old jog with my stem cell knees and knee braces ... Felt good. 4km in 30 minutes ... It's a start ...". He seems to be doing well and running is a lot more problematic for knees than swimming.
Just had the treatment for arthritic knee (bone on bone) with two slight meniscus tears. Highly recommend this procedure over traditional knee replacement. The procedure I had was done in 3 stages over 1 week. Wednesday the knee was injected with "sugar" to prepare it for the stem cells. Friday the stem cells were removed from the back and re-injected into the knee. Then Wednesday the knee was re-injected with my own blood platelets. The procedures are simple and a bit painful but certainly no more painful than the constant knee pain I've had over the last year while trying to decide what to do. Last night was the first time I've seen my knee cap in 6 months. The stem cell and platelet injections require 1-2 days on crutches with 2-3 more days partial bearing. Using crutches has been the difficult part!
I used Stem Cell Arts in McLean, VA.
Thanks for the feedback! Lots of questions if you don't mind. Did they say how long this might last for relief of pain or to give more cushioning? Is it somewhat of a long-term solution, or just to hold off replacement? How did you research Stem Cell Arts?
I apologize for the delay. They do not know how long the procedure will provide relief. They are hoping for as long, if not longer than traditional knee replacement. Their office provides both procedures so they didn't care which one I chose. No it is not a procedure to hold off replacement. I knew about the procedure and had done some research prior to making an appointment. My knees went from terrible to horrible over April/May. I watched a video for knee replacement and said no way, not me. Called Stem Cell went in and chatted with the Dr. and left feeling that this was the procedure of preference. Stem Cell Arts is a national group that partners with local physician offices that want to provide the procedure. I read a lot of reviews prior to making decision.
After spending the last 6 months+ walking with a pronounced limp the most difficult part so far has been retraining my mind & body to walk normal. Hope this helps.
I'm sorry to say there is no evidence that this treatment works. There are testimonials, but stem cells are an unproven treatment that may cause adverse effects. Don't base your medical decisions by listening to people selling this treatment. Studies need to be done, and selling unproven treatments is irresponsible and unprofessional--no good Doctor will offer them. Honestly investigating this subject means reading about the adverse side effects, and what the critics are saying, not just listening to the promoters. If you are enrolled in a real clinical trial you will not be charged for the treatment. Check out sciencebasedmedicine.org for some good information about the current state of stem cell treatments. There was an article on May 22, 2019 about knee arthritis and stem cells that will help in understanding the current state of the research. Three women are blind because they got stem cell injections into their eyes for macular degeneration. Another man has a growth in his spine that cannot be removed--the result of stem cell injections. Much more research needs to be done before stem cells can be used as a reliable treatment for any condition.
