Stem Cell Therapy for Knee Injuries and Arthritis

Utilizing your own stem cells to help the healing process of injured or degenerated joints

The human body is made of billions of specialized cells that form specific organs like the brain, skin, muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, and bone. Each day these cells go through a degenerative and regenerative process. As older cells die, new cells are born from stem cells with the unique capability of being able to create multiple types of other cells. However, when tissues are injured, the degenerative process exceeds this regenerative process, resulting in structures that become weaker, painful and less functional. While there are several types of stem cells, those that are best at promoting musculoskeletal healing (tendon, ligament, cartilage and bone) are found in bone marrow. These mesenchymal stem cells, or MSCs, are essential to successful patient outcomes and at Stem Cell ARTS we utilize the patented Regenexx® Stem Cell Protocol, which is capable of yielding much higher concentrations of these important cells.

Patient Benefits of Stem Cell Therapy

Injuries, overuse, weakness or aging can harm your knees and cause pain and discomfort.

What are the benefits of knee arthroscopy?

These non-surgical stem cell injection procedures happen within a single day and may offer a viable alternative for those who are facing surgery or even joint replacement. Patients are typically able to return to normal activity following the procedure and are able to avoid the painful and lengthy rehabilitation periods that are typically required to help restore strength, mobility and range-of-motion following invasive joint surgeries. Lastly, patients are far less vulnerable to the risks of surgeries, such as infection and blood clots.

Knee injection procedure utilizes stem cells from your own body’s reserves to help heal the injured area

Modern techniques in today’s medicine allows us to withdraw stem cells from bone marrow, concentrate them through a lab process and then re-inject them precisely into the injured tissues in other areas of the body using advanced imaging guidance. Through Fluoroscopy and MSK Ultrasound, we’re able to ensure the cells are being introduced into the exact area of need. When the stem cells are re-injected, they enhance the natural repair process of degenerated and injured tendons, ligaments, and arthritic joints – Turning the tables on the natural breakdown process that occurs from aging, overuse and injury

How Are Stem Cells Obtained?

• The human body keeps a supply of stem cells available to help repair injured and degenerated tissues at all times, making it fairly simple to retrieve them for therapeutic purposes. • As stem cells remain in reserve, in the marrow cavity of your bones, we have found the easiest place to harvest these stem cells is from the back of the hip area (iliac bone). • Procedure is done in the office, under ultrasound or x-ray precision and guidance. • Patients lay face down as the doctor thoroughly cleans the area before numbing the skin and bone. • A special needle is inserted into the bone to withdraw marrow blood, which contains the stem cells. Note: This procedure is not like a bone marrow biopsy nor is it at painful as one. This harvesting procedure is well tolerated by patients and not considered difficult as many patients claim it is not painful. • After bone marrow blood is drawn, it is taken to our onsite Regenexx laboratory and centrifuged to concentrate and purify the stem cells while other cells that are not needed are removed, leaving a concentrated sample of stem cells used to help heal your injury. • The entire process is done by hand to enable customized designing of the stem cell specimen for your particular injury. • A preparation of your concentrated platelets are also gathered at this time for injection into the injury site to release growth factors that “turn on” the stem cells that will later be injected. • These platelets are injected again 3-5 days later to keep the stem cells activated and promote additional healing.

Find Out If You Are A Candidate

If you are suffering from a joint injury or degenerative condition such as osteoarthritis, you may be a good candidate for a stem cell procedure. Please complete the form below and we will immediately send you an email with additional information and next steps in determining whether you’re a candidate for these advanced stem cell procedures.