Many patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis, hip osteoarthritis, or other joints wonder about the possibility of treating osteoarthritis with stem cell-rich fat cells or treating osteoarthritis with platelet-rich plasma, and the extent to which they benefit from the treatment, and whether their medical condition is a candidate for regenerative therapy or not. We previously discussed the treatment of osteoarthritis and the methods used to deal with the condition, which are divided into four main sections, where the specialist doctor advises the patient to follow the appropriate treatment method after examining the patient and according to what he deems appropriate. In this article, we will provide more details about regenerative therapy, which is used in a safe, sound, and effective way to deal with cases of osteoarthritis and cartilage injuries in the knee and hip joints, among others. At the beginning, we begin the discussion through the following images (Figure 1):
We do not disagree that in the advanced and severe stages of osteoarthritis, as shown in Figure 1 (Image 8), there is no optimal solution except through a complete joint replacement operation. However, what about less severe cases? Is a joint replacement operation indicated? Is there a solution other than waiting and continuing with painkillers or temporary solutions until the condition develops to a stage that requires a joint replacement operation? Or are there treatment methods that work to avoid the development of the condition by regenerating damaged tissues in the joint?
The term "osteoarthritic changes" is a general and broad term. (Figure 2) illustrates two cases of osteoarthritic changes. (Image A) shows early osteoarthritic changes, floating bodies, and bony growths in the knee joint. (Image B) shows advanced and severe osteoarthritic changes in the cartilaginous surface of the knee. In both cases, they are called osteoarthritic changes, although they are two completely different conditions. Therefore, is there a fixed and specific way to deal with osteoarthritic changes? The answer is: No, each case is dealt with according to the appropriate treatment methods currently available.
The possibility of following the treatment of osteoarthritis with fat cells rich in stem cells
Regenerative therapy works to regrow and renew the damaged tissues, cells and parts in the joint to the closest possible to their previous natural anatomical position, as regenerative therapy is done by injecting fat cells rich in autologous stem cells (from the same patient) or by injecting platelet-rich plasma into the damaged joint in the body. Treating osteoarthritis with fat cells rich in stem cells gives effective results in cases that are candidates for regenerative therapy and have not developed and become as shown in Figure 1 (Figure 8). In addition, there are some cases that require an arthroscopy followed by regenerative therapy, as there are mechanical obstacles to joint movement such as floating bodies inside the joint and bony growths, which cannot be resolved by direct injection of fat cells rich in stem cells or platelet-rich plasma.
Is treating osteoarthritis with stem cell-rich fat cells an effective treatment, and what is the benefit?
Treatment of osteoarthritis with stem cell-rich fat cells in candidate cases of osteoarthritis and cartilage injuries is highly effective, as injecting autologous stem cell-rich fat cells into the joint is the only way to regenerate cartilage and damaged tissues among all other methods that only work to relieve pain or try to slow down the progression of the condition. As the growth of cartilage and tissues can only be observed through MRI images in cases that followed regenerative treatment by injecting stem cell-rich fat cells into the joint, such as the following cases that were treated using the arthroscopic technique followed by injection of autologous stem cell-rich fat cells:
All of these patients showed clear regrowth and regeneration in the damaged tissues in the cartilage on MRI images, and their clinical improvement was significantly noticeable and they returned to their daily activities better. Studies have shown that the number of stem cell-rich fat cells injected into the joint has a significant impact on the extent of clinical improvement and the extent of cartilage regeneration. There are many other cases that have been treated by injecting fat cells rich in stem cells, which have demonstrated the effectiveness of regenerative therapy and proven the success of this procedure by comparing patients’ X-rays and MRIs over the long term.
Is regenerative therapy safe?
Stem cell-rich fat cells are divided into three main categories: autologous stem cell-rich fat cells (extracted from the patient himself), donor stem cell-rich fat cells (extracted from another person or from a donor), and in vitro cultured stem cell-rich fat cells (IPs). Autologous stem cell-rich fat cells are considered safe and sound because they are extracted from the same person without laboratory culture, while donor stem cell-rich fat cells that are cultured in the laboratory are still under research to prove their safety. Currently, the Food and Drug Administration in a number of countries has allowed the use of autologous stem cell-rich fat cells that are extracted and injected on the same day and in the same procedure without laboratory multiplication, such as America, Canada, Germany, Australia, Korea, Japan, China, India, Singapore, Thailand and other countries.
Autologous Stem Cell-Rich Adipose (ASC) or Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)?
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) contains many growth factors such as EGF, FGF, PDGF, VEGF, TGF-β which help in tissue regeneration. In some cases of tendon, ligament and muscle injuries, platelet-rich plasma is ideal for dealing with these cases, as the first studies published on the benefits of using platelet-rich plasma for muscles were in 1986, and since then and until now many studies have been published on the benefits of platelet-rich plasma for healing many ligament and tendon tears in the body. While in cases of joint roughness, platelet-rich plasma has good benefits in very early cases of roughness. In moderate cases, platelet-rich plasma may have limited benefits, while several studies have shown that fat cells rich in autologous stem cells have greater benefits in moderate stages of osteoarthritis in rebuilding damaged tissues in the joint. Several injections of platelet-rich plasma are given periodically after injecting fat cells rich in autologous stem cells into the joint, as the growth factors in it stimulate the differentiation of fat cells rich in autologous stem cells injected.
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