Fat and Bone Marrow Stem Cells used to Treat Severe Knee Arthritis

knee stem cells fat

GM is a 53 yo male with a 4-5 year history of bilateral knee pain. When we first evaluated him late last year, he had already tried medial unloader knee braces, which helped, but didn’t solve his problem. The patient’s MRI showed degenerative meniscus tears in the medial meniscus as well as very severe arthritis in the medial compartment with significant lost cartilage. He was placed into the POOR-FAIR category for a Regenexx-AD procedure which is a fat stem cell knee procedure. Despite the potential for the procedure not being effective due to the severity of his arthritis, he wanted to avoid knee replacement due to the potential serious complications. The focus of this knee stem cell therapy was to treat his displaced meniscus with a structural fat graft containing his own stem cells and add bone marrow stem cells into the medial compartment of the knee where he had the most lost cartilage. He underwent this Regenexx-AD procedure under MSK ultrasound guidance with Dr. Hanson in December 2010 and is now some 9 months out. He sent this note to Dr. Hanson this month:

“My knees are doing great since the last time I saw you. There is no pain at all when walking, standing, or laying around. Does hurt if I try to run. That may partially be from not running at all the last five years. I’m not sure. …I will try to get another treatment when I can work it into my schedule.”

We look forward to seeing how GM fares going forward and are pleased to say at this point that he seems to have dodged the knee replacement bullet.

NOTE:  Regenexx-AD is a medical procedure and like all medical procedure has a success and failure rate.  Not all patients experience the same result.

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Chris Centeno, MD is a specialist in regenerative medicine and the new field of Interventional Orthopedics. Centeno pioneered orthopedic stem cell procedures in 2005 and is responsible for a large amount of the published research on stem cell use for orthopedic applications. View Profile

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NOTE: This blog post provides general information to help the reader better understand regenerative medicine, musculoskeletal health, and related subjects. All content provided in this blog, website, or any linked materials, including text, graphics, images, patient profiles, outcomes, and information, are not intended and should not be considered or used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please always consult with a professional and certified healthcare provider to discuss if a treatment is right for you.

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