KNEE STEM CELL THERAPY: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

 In recent years, stem cell treatment research has increased in tandem with the demand for non-invasive surgery options. Despite the fact that these therapies are still in their infancy in terms of clinical research, healthcare providers have already jumped on board, offering knee stem cell therapy, among other things, in over 600 clinics in the United States alone.

While many doctors and facilities are touting it as a miracle cure, it is always prudent to proceed with caution when trying out new treatments. Let's take a closer look at what knee stem cell therapy is, its existing adverse effects, and how effective it is based on current studies.

Who Would Benefit From Knee Stem Cell Therapy?

Knee stem cell therapy involves the injection of stem cells (taken from the patients bone marrow or fat) into their knees to treat knee osteoarthritis. It is still being researched as an alternate treatment to knee surgery in the aim of reducing the number of people with arthritis who must swap their knees for prosthesis.

The concept is based on the fact that stem cells are cells that are needed for new tissue growth and regeneration. Most other cells began as stem cells before evolving into their own cell type.

Osteoarthritis in the knee, in this situation, wears away the cartilage, causing pain, friction, and potentially torn tendons, ligaments, or fractures. Stem cells should then technically be able to repair this damage, reduce inflammation and prevent the onset of osteoarthritis, presumably regenerating back cartilage, bones and muscle tissue!

Knee stem cell therapy, according to the hypothesis, sounds like the miracle solution for osteoarthritis in the knee that everyone has been yearning for. This therapy, however, is still extremely new and very experimental, with new studies being conducted every day to test its safety and efficacy. Despite the fact that certain experiments have yielded favorable outcomes, scientists are still unsure how this medication works.

Side Effects of Knee Stem Cell Therapy

So far, there have not been many recorded known negative effects of knee stem cell therapy in the limited research trials that have been conducted by willing facilities like as the Mayo Clinic.

People have reported feeling stiff in their knees after receiving stem cell injections. Swelling, fevers, and slight pain are occasionally reported.

In comparison to knee surgery, these adverse effects are minor; however, this is likely due to a paucity of research on the subject.

When compared to other stem cell therapies, research reveals that doing this type of therapy on other parts of the body can pose potentially substantial hazards. Those who got eye stem cell therapy to eliminate cataracts, for example, were clinically blind. The FDA has also expressed worry over stem cell therapy, claiming that it can trigger tumour growth in some situations.

Doctors and scientists appear to believe that it is relatively safe when performed on the knee; however, additional research is needed before the FDA and other medical authorities can approve it as a safe treatment.

Is Knee Stem Cell Therapy Effective?

The truth is that knee stem cell therapy is still being researched, therefore no one can tell for certain if it works.

Prior to human trials, promising studies demonstrated that stem cells have the ability to significantly reduce inflammation, which is one of the leading causes of osteoarthritis progression. These trials also demonstrated that stem cells did, in fact, increase cartilage formation, reduce pain severity, and alleviate several features of arthritis with no adverse effects other than those already discussed.

Actual clinical studies on voluntary volunteers are only carried out on limited groups of patients, often 20-30 at a time.

Nonetheless, these trials have revealed that these patients' symptoms have improved dramatically. According to one study, while gains were evident immediately, the effects did not last a year. Other similar studies have found that, while the effects faded after a year, there were significant gains reported at the two-year point.

Multiple injections spaced out over months or weeks tend to be more successful in the long run than a single therapy, but frequency and dosage have yet to be determined in humans in terms of what is most effective.

An intriguing survey the researchers did included 317 clinics that currently offer the therapy in the United States.

The researchers inquired about the procedure's cost as well as its success rate at these facilities. Only 65 of 317 clinics responded, with an average cost of roughly $5000. The majority of them claimed success rates of 70-100%, but none provided any evidence to support this claim.

The bottom conclusion is that this therapy is being aggressively advertised, despite the lack of proof that it works or is safe in the long run. If you are considering this treatment, look for doctors who work for research organizations so that if something goes wrong, you are in good hands!

Conclusion

Knee stem cell therapy is a promising treatment option for those suffering from knee osteoarthritis; however, further research is needed before it can be recognized as a safe and effective treatment for everyone suffering from this ailment.