Adult Stem Cell Therapy in Joint and Knee Surgery

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Adult Stem Cell Therapy in Joint and Knee Surgery

Adult stem cell therapy is a powerful form of medical care that uses bone marrow cells to help treat joint problems. Doctors often use bone marrow concentrate cell therapy during joint surgeries. This can help lessen the chances of certain side effects associated with traditional surgery as well as improve outcomes.

What Is Adult Stem Cell Therapy in Joint Surgery?

Cell therapy in joint surgery uses a patient’s own bone marrow to help treat severe joint problems. The cells from bone marrow can help doctors reinforce or repair tissues treated during surgery. This form of cell therapy has helped thousands of patients suffering from common forms of joint pain.

How Does Cell Therapy in Joint Surgery Work?

Cell therapy treatments work by replacing or enhancing damaged or missing cells and tissues in and around joints. The specific mechanism of action varies depending on the type of cell therapy used. In joint surgeries, doctors commonly use the patient’s own concentrated bone marrow.

Bone Marrow Concentrate (BMC) treatments collect platelets and cells from bone marrow tissue. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and other adult stem cells are components of BMC. Once the adult stem cell-containing BMC is prepared, a doctor can use it in various ways during the course of a surgical procedure.

BMC has been used in the following joint surgeries:

  • Ankle Fusion: Doctors commonly add BMC to repair materials used in ankle fusion surgery. The BMC may help the patient heal faster and more completely.
  • Cartilage Repair Surgery: Doctors often use BMC in surgeries designed to repair a specific type of cartilage damage called an osteochondral defect. This type of injury involves damage so severe that the patient is missing cartilage and bone in the injured area. The BMC may help the cartilage heal more quickly and correctly.
  • Rotator Cuff Repair Surgery: Doctors commonly use BMC to improve rotator cuff repair surgeries. They put BMC into the repaired tissue and the bone it’s being attached to. This may help the tissue heal faster and stay healed longer.

When used in surgery, patients generally do not notice immediate pain relief or symptom improvement due to cell therapy. But over time, patients may experience fewer side effects, faster healing and/or more durable results.

Results: How Effective is Cell Therapy in Joint Surgery?

In one study, researchers looked at patients who qualified for knee replacement in both knees. They were treated with total knee replacement in one knee and a minor BMC-implanting surgery in the other knee.

Key results from this study included:

  • BMC-implanted knees had pain relief similar to the knees replaced with implants.
  • 70% of patients preferred the BMC-implanted knee.
  • BMC-implanted knees had improvements in cartilage and bone.

In a different study of rotator cuff repair, BMC helped patients heal faster and stay healed longer than traditional surgery. In fact, 10 years after surgery, patients who received BMC were twice as likely to still have a healed rotator cuff than those who did not receive BMC.

Pain relief, improvements in disability and speed of spinal fusion can all vary. A patient’s outcomes will depend on their unique situation. If you are interested in cell therapy for joint surgery, you should discuss it with an experienced regenerative medicine physician today.

Benefits of a Cell Therapy in Orthopedic Surgery

Cell therapy benefits can vary based upon the type of treatment, the area treated and patient factors. Cell therapy in joint surgeries can provide several potential benefits, including:

  • Faster healing
  • Longer-lasting healing
  • Better cartilage quality
  • Fewer side effects requiring a second surgery

Cell therapy surgery patients may not experience all of the above benefits. Patients weighing the benefits of cell therapy for surgery should discuss this procedure with a physician. The physician can explain how cell therapy may or may not benefit the patient.

Side Effects of Cell Therapy Joint Surgeries

As with all medical procedures, cell therapy during surgery may cause side effects. However, patients may not be able to distinguish which side effects come from the main surgery and which do not. The most common side effect from procuring BMC is soreness at the bone marrow draw site. Patients may also have a temporary pain increase in the treated tissue. This generally resolves in one to two weeks.

Eligibility for Cell Therapy in Joint Surgery

As with all medical procedures, cell therapy during surgery may cause side effects. However, patients may not be able to distinguish which side effects come from the main surgery and which do not. The most common side effect from procuring BMC is soreness at the bone marrow draw site. Patients may also have a temporary pain increase in the treated tissue. This generally resolves in one to two weeks.

Selected Eligibility Criteria for Cell Therapy Joint Surgery

The following factors may make a patient eligible for injection-based cell therapy:

  • Confirmed eligibility for a total knee replacement
  • Confirmed diagnosis of a rotator cuff tear requiring surgical treatment
  • Confirmed diagnosis of ankle damage requiring fusion

Confirmed diagnosis of an osteochondral defect

The following factors may make a patient ineligible for cell therapy:

  • A history of bone or blood cancer within the last 12 months
  • A history of blood or bleeding disorders
  • An active infection

Severe cardiac or pulmonary disease

Procedure Details: What to Expect From Cell Therapy Enhancement of Joint Surgery

Cell therapy enhancement of joint surgeries will vary with the location of surgery, implant choices, and physician preferences. However, cell therapy enhanced joint surgeries do share a few common features.

1: Consultation Appointment

Before a doctor recommends BMC-enhancement of joint surgery, they will evaluate the patient for eligibility. This evaluation includes a general physical in addition to examination of the patient’s symptoms. If the patient is eligible, the doctor will add BMC-enhancement to the patient’s surgery order.

2: Pre-Treatment Preparation

Patients will receive instructions for pre-surgery preparation. It is important that the patient reads, understands and follows all instructions prior to surgery.

3: Cell Therapy Enhancement of Joint Surgery

After the patient is rolled into the operating room, cell therapy-enhanced joint surgeries generally include the steps below.

  1. Collection of Bone Marrow: A healthcare provider will draw bone marrow from the patient’s hip bone. This occurs after the patient is under general anesthesia. Bone marrow aspiration takes less than 10 minutes.
  2. Processing of Patient’s Cells: A trained specialist will process the bone marrow in a sterile device. It takes less than 20 minutes to complete processing with the [BMC device name]. Once processed, the  BMC is ready for the doctor to use.
  3. Adding BMC to the Graft: The BMC will be transferred to the sterile field. Once there, a nurse or surgery technician will incorporate the BMC into the material required for surgery. In some cases, the BMC may be used on its own.
  4. Placing the Implants and Graft Material: The surgeon will place the BMC or BMC-containing graft at the appropriate location. The surgeon may place BMC or BMC-containing graft material in multiple locations.

Once the BMC has been placed, the doctor will follow standard protocol to finish the surgery. Once the entire surgery is complete, the patient will be moved from the OR to the recovery room for monitoring.

4: Recovery and Rehabilitation

Many joint surgeries are serious and may require months of rehab and therapy. It is important that patients follow all of the doctor’s recommendations for recovery and rehabilitation.