- This is a new type of treatment in which fat cells are taken from the abdomen and then injected into the knee joint to decrease inflammation and symptoms.
- This treatment has been marketed to have the highest stem cell count of other products. Again it is important to note that no study has ever shown that there are active stem cells that will reverse the arthritis process or regenerate and reform the damaged areas.
- There are clinical research trials underway in Europe and the USA with a number of publications currently available in the recent literature. The studies do show a beneficial effect overall, however, it is still difficult to identify the patients who will or will not respond to the injection. This is a problem as this type of treatment may be highly expensive. In summary, this type of treatment has been shown to provide a benefit in decreasing knee pain and improving knee function up to 12 months after the injection. However, there remains a certain percentage of patients that will not have a benefit and this may be as high as one in three. We are currently following this form of treatment from a scientific standpoint and the recommendation is for scientific studies to provide better patient guidelines and efficacy.
When the Best Matters
CSMOC is an award-winning center for orthoapedic treatment in Cincinnati.