Stem Cell intervention is increasingly offered by anyone and everyone with a license to practice. As of this time, there are no certifying bodies or residencies or Board sanctioned fellowships. In my blogs, I have attempted to educate the readers and keep them up to date. Most recently, I posted data pertaining to knee outcomes when compared to a knee replacement. For those of you who might have missed it, I used the standard 100-point Knee Society Assessment Score which all clinical researchers use to compare the results of a cohort of Total Knee Replacement recipients with the outcome of a similar cohort of patients whose arthritis at the knee was treated with Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate. Pre-operative, the KSS in the Total Knee Replacement group was 48 points, post-operative at one year, 80 points. You may compare that score with the preliminary sores of BMAC recipients. Pre-intervention, the mean Knee Society Score 68; Post-intervention, 85 and no concern about revision surgery. Only an orthopedic surgeon is trained to properly harvest stem cells from bone marrow and only the orthopedic joint replacement surgeon is experienced and equipped to provide the kind of data I am posting and will continue to publish.
Will the skiers, cyclists, athletes, fitness buffs be able to experience at year four that which they enjoyed at week four following a stem cell intervention at the arthritic hip, knee or ankle? The Outcomes work at Regenexx indicates a positive subjective response from over 70% of patients who underwent a SD Stem Cell procedure 28 months earlier. I am adding to the studies by collecting objective data. How might we improve the success rate and the durability of a BMAC intervention? It would seem the answer to that question is two fold and I have introduced two alternatives in my practice. Only time will tell the better alternative:
1) Should a BMAC recipient experience incomplete relief within four months or the return of symptoms within six months of the procedure, then a Platelet Rich Plasma booster makes sense.
2) Should a BMAC recipient not respond to the PRP booster then a repeat stem cell intervention makes sense.
In the upcoming weeks, I will continue to publish comparisons between the outcomes of BMAC intervention for arthritis and Total Joint Replacement. If you want to “stay active my friend”, give stem cells a chance.
Tags: arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Regenerative Pain Center, Regenexx, Regenexx-SD, stem cells