Stem Cell Therapy for Osteoarthritis
What is osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease, is a group of mechanical abnormalities involving degradation of joints, including articular cartilage and subchondral bone. Symptoms may include joint pain, tenderness, stiffness, locking, and sometimes an effusion. When bone surfaces become less well protected by cartilage, bone may be exposed and damaged. As a result of decreased movement secondary to pain, regional muscles may atrophy, and ligaments may become more lax.
How can stem cells help fight arthritis?
| Stem Cell Therapy for Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis Neil Riordan, PhD |
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Stem cell therapy has been demonstrated to induce profound healing activity in animals with various forms of arthritis. For example, the company Vet-Stem routinely utilizes stem cells in horses with various joint deformities to accelerate healing. Besides healing of damaged tissues, stem cells have the unique ability to modulate the immune system so as to shut off pathological responses while preserving ability to fight off disease.
| “…procedure has been an outstanding success.” Dusty Durrill |
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Which types of stem cells are used to treat osteoarthritis and how are they obtained?
The adult stem cells used to treat osteoarthitis at the Stem Cell Institute come from the patient’s own fat (autologous adipose).
The fat tissue sample is collected via mini-liposuction, which is performed by a certified plastic surgeon under general anesthesia. Mesenchymal stem cells and T regulatory cells reside within this tissue. These adipose-derived cells are separated from the fat at Medistem’s state-of-the-art laboratory. This entire process is subjected to stringent quality control. Before they can be administered back into the patient, these adipose-derived stem cells are tested for quality, bacterial contamination (aerobic and anaerobic) and endotoxin.
How are the stem cells administered?
The adipose-derived stem cells are administered by a licensed physician into the affected joint(s) (intra-articular injection) and intravenously (IV).
The osteoarthritis treatment protocol requires a 2 week stay in Panama.
Why does adipose stem cell treatment take more than one week? – Intravenously administered adipose-derived stem cells will tend to migrate back to the fresh wound site if it is not given an adequate time to heal. Therefore, it is essential to allow about one week after the mini-liposuction before administering any stem cells intravenously. Otherwise, there is a high likelihood that the treatment will not be as effective. Additionally, it takes 5 five days to thoroughly test the adipose cell samples for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. In order to ensure that no patient receives an infected sample, at least 5 days must transpire before the cells can be confirmed safe and injected back into the patient. Lastly, this 5-day waiting period enables our scientists to culture a small sample of each patient’s stem cells in the lab to observe how they are likely to proliferate once they are inside the body. If a patient’s cells show low viability, our doctors will supplement the treatment with additional cord-derived cells to compensate. The same can be done in cases of low cell yield.
OSTEOARTHRITIS TREATMENT PROTOCOL OUTLINE
- • The osteoarthritis treatment protocol typically takes approximately 2 weeks
- • The first two days: medical evaluation, blood testing, and mini-liposuction
- • Joint (intra-articular) injections during 2nd week (1 – 4 as required)
- • 2 Intravenous injections (IV) during 2nd week
What about follow-up after I return home?
We care about how you are doing after you return home. So, we will monitor your post-treatment progress on a regular basis. Regular follow-up also helps us evaluate the effectiveness of our treatments and improve our protocols based on observed outcomes.
Therefore, our medical staff will be contacting you after 1 month, 3 months, 4 months, and 1 year after the treatment to follow up on your condition.
May I speak with any successfully treated patients?
Of course you may. Some of our treated osteoarthritis patients have volunteered to speak with prospective patients after treatment approval. Your patient coordinator will be happy assist you with contacting them at the appropriate time.
| “I just danced 6 hours…and my knee isn’t even sore.” Dr. Janet Vaughan |
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We’ve published written testimonials, videos and news articles from our arthritis patients on our osteoarthritis patient experiences page. Please have a look!
How do I request more information?
Please contact us by telephone 1 (800) 980-STEM (7836) and 1 (954) 636-3390 or by web-based inquiry form.
To find out if you are eligible, Apply for Treatment Today:
To apply for stem cell treatment, please complete this Patient Application Form.
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