Regenerative Orthopedics for Knee Arthritis: Does it Work?
Knee arthritis (also called osteoarthritis) is a very common orthopedic condition. People experiencing knee arthritis know the pain it causes and how much this condition impairs your quality of life and your day-to-day activities.
When diagnosed with knee arthritis, individuals are often advised to try physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, and hyaluronic acid or corticosteroid injections in an effort to eliminate the inflammation and pain. When these suggestions fail, the next recommendation is typically surgery.
With about 700,000 knee surgeries performed every year, you would think these risky procedures have a high success rate. However, numerous studies have shown that these surgeries have little results on patients over 40. And the results of surgery are not guaranteed. Additionally, recovering from knee surgery takes several months and upwards of a year. Not to mention the risks involved in knee surgery.
This information may be new to you, or maybe you are already aware of this and are looking for an alternative to knee surgery.
Regenerative Medicine as an Alternative to Knee Surgery
Our bodies are equipped with methods of self-healing. When you get a cut, your body repairs itself. Regenerative medicine searches for and discovers therapies to help the body repair, regenerate and restore its well-being.
Stem cells (cells with the ability to develop into different types of cells with the ability to repair an area of the body) offer an alternative to knee surgery by utilizing the body’s healing agents to treat knee arthritis.
Alternative Treatment Options for Knee Arthritis
We offer alternatives to knee replacement and arthroscopic surgery, including non-surgical blood platelet procedures (PRP) and your own bone marrow concentrate containing stem cells, that can be customized to each individual’s needs.
Regenerative Orthopedic Therapy
The most effective mesenchymal stem cells are derived from bone marrow drawn from your hip, processed, and concentrated in our lab. Then they are injected into the osteoarthritic knee joint using precise image guidance.
Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy can relieve joint pain by using your body’s own healing power to promote long-lasting relief from osteoarthritis symptoms. PRP is created from a sample of your blood that has been processed to remove nearly all white and red blood cells. This injectable platelet concentrate contains growth factors to enhance normal healing and is also used with the extracellular matrix to help prepare the site and repair and rebuild the damaged tissue.
A Note on Knee Surgery
There are instances and circumstances where surgery is necessary. However, at Nashville Regenerative Orthopedics, we view each patient as their own unique case and determine what solution is necessary to get our patient onto the road to rapid recovery.
Whether you require a lifestyle change, diet changes, physical therapy, bone marrow-derived stem cells, PRP or surgery, we will work out a plan to return you to a pain-free life.
Additionally, there is amounting evidence showing that bone marrow concentrate and platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapies significantly aid in the recovery process after surgery.
For a consultation on how to best resolve your knee arthritis or osteoarthritis, please give our office a call at (615) 850-4415.
Here’s to your health and longevity!
Dr. Ethan Kellum M.D.
Nashville Regenerative Orthopedics
