Can stem cell injections treat knee osteoarthritis?

In this study, the group hypothesized that injecting these cells into knee joints could serve as an intervention to treat patients. In a preliminary trial, the group treated 30 patients (27 women and three men, mean age 61 years old) with moderate to severe knee osteoarthritis. In each patient, clinicians injected a solution of stem cells (70 million allogeneic cells) into the genicular arteries, a network that supplies blood to structures around the knee. All of the patients were admitted for one day following the procedure. MRIs of patients’ knees were acquired prior to the procedure and at one, six, and nine months after, while pain, stiffness, and physical function were assessed using WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index) patient questionnaire scores. According to the findings, the technical success rate of the procedure was 100%. WOMAC scores for patients over 55 years old (n = 16) dropped from 32.63 prior to the intervention to 7.69 nine months later; WOMAC scores dropped for patients under 55 years old (n = 14) from 25.14 to 3.36. “Patient symptoms improved significantly,” Ghanaati said. In addition, the MRIs revealed small mean increases in the cartilage of the knee – for instance, an increase of 0.84 millimeters to 0.96 millimeters on axial views of the patella, according to the results. “The MRIs indicated some cartilage regeneration. However, it remains unclear whether this represents true regeneration, edema, or eve...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Subspecialties MRI Interventional Radiology Source Type: news