

If we compare bone marrow derived cells to commonly accepted surgical treatments for arthritis, we also find some interesting results. Stem Cells Better than Arthroscopy and Micro-fracture. In addition, the group that received the stem cell treatment had improved MRI findings. Both sets of patients were followed for a year, being monitored with surveys and an MRI.Īt the end of one year, the stem cell recipient patients showed significantly lower pain scores and higher functionality scores. Another group received the standard single injection of hyaluronic injection. These Spanish researchers compared a form of cultured bone marrow stem cells taken from a separate individual, and injected it into the knee of patients. Hyaluronic injections are a very common form of treatment in the United States over 4 million of these injections are given each year, and it is a commonly accepted and covered treatment by many health insurance carriers. Spanish researchers performed such a study when they compared cultured bone marrow stem cells to a commonly treatment called Hyaluronic Acid (sometimes known in the United States as rooster injections or chicken fat injections to the knee). If we now compare the results of bone marrow derived stem cells to commonly accepted non-surgical treatments for osteoarthritis of the knee, we can start to evaluate which treatment is superior.

Stem Cells Better than Hyaluronic Injections (Chicken Fat) Centeno found that all his patients showed improvements in pain and function, and that the severity of the arthritis did not have an impact on the outcome.There is, however, a problem with such a study: it does not compare the treatment in question against another form of treatment, allowing us to determine which treatment may be a better choice. He examined these patients at one, three, and six month intervals, as well as once a year. Centeno published his findings from his patient registry evaluations, wherein he looked at 373 patients who received this treatment in the form of an injection into the osteoarthritic knee. Chris Centeno developed a method of using bone marrow derived stem cells through his patented and marketed Regenexx™ stem cell clinics, which are based in Colorado.
#STEM CELL TREATMENT FOR KNEE SERIES#
What’s the Evidence Stem Cells work for knee arthritis?įirst, let us look at literature which illustrates a series of cases as a “proof of concept” type of study. While we can’t comment much on the use of stem cells for arthritis in other joints, each joint manifests unique results in our clinical practice, with knees showing particularly beneficial outcomes. Some of the most convincing evidence for the use of stem cell therapy exists for arthritis of the knee.
