These mediators have local action and do not suppress the patient’s immune system as a whole. Stem cells, mostly mesenchymal cells help in the production of anti-inflammatory agents. Apart from healing of damaged or injured tissues, stem cells also have the ability to regulate immune-system activity so as to ward off pathological responses while retaining their protective function. For instance, Vet-Stem, a Vet Company uses stem cells to accelerate healing in horses with joint deformities. This has been experimented with in animals. Stem cell therapy induces healing in various forms of arthritis. These other modalities are used by us to focus on the whole joint and treating different parts of it instead of just treating one out of several diseased structures in the joint. Furthermore, they may not have proper knowledge of how other modalities can enhance the effects of Stem Cells. They also may use xray with unnecessary radiation for injections that can be easily avoided in most cases by using ultrasound. They in effect expose patients to more invasive treatments like drilling bones without offering other easier options. Other may also not offer option of bone marrow derived stem cell, Adipose derived stem cell & umbilical cord stem cell. We are different from many other clinics who offer stem cell or PRP. Current ongoing research on the effect of stem cells has shown positive results. Stem cells however, reduce the inflammation and pain that are typical of these conditions. It also entails a lot of risk including risk of infection, bleeding, poor surgical outcome to name a few. Surgery can be very debilitating with prolong downtime during recovery requiring at times prolonged bed rest & even residing in nursing home for recovery.
Medications & steroids have many side effects including weight gain & increased blood sugar from steroids, damage to kidneys, heart, stroke & gastric ulcer.
These treatments are considered a patch up of the problem without treating the root cause of the problem.
However, these treatments on their own do not address the damage that has been done to the extra-articular tissues or joints.Įven though modern treatment have improved patient prognosis, it is on record that no less than 50 percent of patients do not get the desired clinical response.Ĭurrent treatment involves using medications and at times injection. When DMARDs such as methotrexate prove ineffective, then biologics such as adalimumab, entanercept, or abatacept may be administered. These treatments only cause a temporary improvement in the condition, and despite this, they have a number of disadvantages, the major ones being random suppression of immune responses. Most medical problems are currently treated with medications and surgery. In this review, we summarized the current status of stem cell therapies in OA pathophysiology and also highlighted the potential areas of further research needed in regenerative medicine. Additionally, the stem cells have also been supplemented with growth factors to achieve higher healing response in osteoarthritic cartilage. Recently, the pluripotent and various multipotent mesenchymal stem cells have been employed for OA therapy, due to their differentiation potential towards chondrogenic lineage. These therapies not only depend upon source and type of stem cells but also on environmental conditions, growth factors, and chemical and mechanical stimuli. To overcome these limitations, cell-based therapies are currently being employed to repair and regenerate the structure and function of articular tissues. Traditional and current surgical treatment procedures for OA are limited and incapable to reverse the damage of articular cartilage. The poor self-healing ability of articular cartilage due to limited regeneration in chondrocytes further adversely affects the osteoarthritic microenvironment. Not only aging-associated alterations but also the metabolic factors such as hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and obesity affect articular tissues and may initiate or exacerbate the OA.
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative disorder which could be distinguished by erosion of articular cartilage, pain, stiffness, and crepitus.