Knee treatment with stem cells in Istanbul (also called treatment of the knee with stem cell injections) is a relatively new and promising technology in the field of arthritis and its degenerative diseases.
What is the treatment of knee stem cells?
It is the injection of stem cells into the damaged articular cartilage as a result of many diseases, the most common of which is osteoarthritis, as they secrete many anti-inflammatory factors and slow down the fibrosis of the injury, thus relieving the severity of symptoms resulting from the progression of the disease, which may obviate the need for knee replacement in the future.
Stem cells are obtained from our patient himself (the treatment is called autologous) often by biopsy some tissues of the body using special equipment, extracting stem cells from them, and then implanting them again in the injured knee. This method is called injecting mesenchymal stem cells into my joint.
Stem cells are extracted from the adult human body today by several techniques that are considered safe, painless and do not cause long-term side effects, including:
- Stem cell culture extracted from adipose tissue: by liposuction, usually from the abdomen.
- Bone marrow aspiration: Stem cells are taken from a bone marrow sample under local anesthesia and then cultured.
A quick overview of the knee joint
The knee is one of the largest weight-bearing joints and is located between the femur, tibia, and patella. It is classified as a synovial joint, that is, it contains a synovial sac between the cartilaginous articular surfaces that is filled with synovial fluid that facilitates the movement of the joint and reduces friction.
The importance of the articular cartilage covering the bones comes from the fact that it provides a smooth surface that prevents bone friction directly, and it is a noble tissue, meaning that damaged cartilage cannot be regenerated when it is damaged, so most treatment methods focus on preserving the cartilage tissue by stopping the erosion of the cartilage or slowing down the inflammatory processes that lead to its damage.
Among the most common diseases that affect the knee:
- Osteoarthritis.Where the cartilaginous surfaces become chronically inflamed and erode over time, causing knee pain and stiffness, the elbow and hip also afflict.
- Knee edema: fluid buildup as a result of injury or inflammation within the joint cavity.
- torn ligamentsCommon in athletes as a result of excessive stress or direct injury to the knee.
- rheumatism;An immune problem that may affect any joint in the body and, when neglected, may lead to permanent damage that does not heal.
The use of stem cells in treating inflamed knee joints in Türkiye
Osteoarthritis in the knee or knee osteoarthritis is a chronic condition that is very common around the world and is expected to increase in incidence in the future due to the prevalence of obesity and aging.
Knee injuries and injuries may contribute to an increased risk of developing knee osteoarthritis at an early age (most cases of osteoarthritis occur after the age of 50).
Common treatments for the condition currently include exercising, losing weight or Injecting several substances into the joint as cortisone, Platelet-rich plasma and hyaluronic acid, and in severe cases it may be Total knee joint replacement.
Although many treatment options are sometimes useful, they are not effective enough for many patients. Exercising, for example, led to pain relief and improved joint movement, but to a limited extent.
Cortisone injections temporarily relieved the pain, and this pain-relieving effect disappeared completely after six months. As for joint replacement, it is an expensive procedure, and the surgery may recur after several years.
There is an urgent need to find a non-surgical, safe and inexpensive alternative treatment for the knee. Many researches and studies have been conducted on the use of stem cells and their transplantation into the joints, because the stem cell has the ability to stimulate tissue regeneration and inhibit the inflammatory process.
Cases requiring knee stem cell therapy
There is scientific evidence of the effectiveness of knee stem cell therapy, as the stem cell can differentiate into cartilaginous and bone cells that replace damaged cells and repair damaged tissues.
Practically, there is still reservation about its widespread use in health centers as a result of the lack of sufficient understanding of its mechanism of action, determination of appropriate doses, estimation of the duration of effectiveness and its need for expertise and modern equipment with high cost that may not be available in traditional clinics.
In Turkey, we have the best tools and equipment used in stem cell knee treatment at a reasonable cost.
The most common possible cases of knee stem cell treatment include:
- knee roughness
- cartilaginous degeneration
- Direct injuries to the knee
- knee pain
- torn ligaments
- muscle rupture
Comparison of knee stem cell therapy with other therapies and its advantages
The problem with traditional knee treatment methods lies in their inability to replace the damaged cartilage tissue and do not stop the process of cartilage degeneration, which leads to worsening of symptoms.
indicated Spanish Studies The stem cell regenerative therapy showed better results than hyaluronic acid injections in the knee in terms of relieving movement pain and eliminating knee osteoarthritis.
Knee stem cell therapy is superior to arthroscopic knee surgery in protecting cartilage tissue and preserving it for a longer period.
After knee surgeries, patients need recovery periods of up to several weeks and may not be able to carry out their daily activities as they wish, while stem cell treatment for the knee enables the patient to return to his life comfortably and within a short period.
Stem cell knee treatment is characterized by:
- Safe and non-irritating to the patient
- Rapid symptom improvement
- The treatment is short in duration, lasting no more than 90 minutes
- Cure rates are as high as 91%
- Rapid and prolonged improvement of joint roughness and symptoms
- No need for a large number of physical therapy sessions after treatment
Side effects of using stem cells in the treatment of knee joint
Any therapeutic interaction is not without some side effects, and some patients may not realize this, or they may have some side effects without doing the same.Medical consultation. Numerous clinical trials have confirmed that the side effects of knee stem cell therapy are very low with 2%.
The side effects of knee stem cell therapy are limited to:
- Bacteremia of the joint when the procedure was performed under non-sterile conditions
- Bleeding from the joint
- Pain at the injection site while moving (may last several days)
- Inflammation of some of the nerves that pass near the injection site
- A feeling of tingling and numbness at the injection site from which the stem cells were taken, and it may last up to 6 hours
- Muscle spasm Injection site
Some tips after knee stem cell treatment
General advice
- Stem cell therapy is most likely to be successful when excessive knee flexion is avoided and strenuous exercise is avoided.
- There is no objection to putting ice on the knee after the operation when it feels hot, but without direct friction.
- The inflammatory process is a natural reaction of the body, so it is not recommended to take anti-inflammatory drugs within a month of stem cell injection.
After stem cell treatment, one week for two weeks
- Do not remove the injection site dressings to take the bone marrow before 48 hours.
- You should avoid walking for more than 30 minutes continuously for two days after the injection.
- Feeling mild or moderate joint pain is not a problem at first, but severe pain requires consulting a doctor.
One month after the knee stem cell treatment
- The patient must adhere to physical therapy and can wear a knee brace.
- The patient can do light sports such as walking and cycling.
- Patients with pain can take anti-inflammatories.
If you have any questions about the steps and efficacy of stem cell knee treatment, or you would like to seek medical advice, you can contact us.
Sources
Common questions
The cost varies between countries and may range from US$2,000 to US$4,000 for knees.
When compared with all other treatments for the knee and joints, stem cell transplantation or injecting into the knee is a safe technique and rarely causes problems in the near future.
At the request of the patient, after giving him sufficient information about his condition and the possibility of treating it with the new technology based on treating joints with stem cells.
Osteoarthritis and knee roughness are chronic conditions that require long periods of treatment. The improvement of symptoms depends on many factors that must be taken into account, such as age, types of treatment, and the degree of injuries in the joint.
In most cases, there is no need to stay in a hospital because stem cell injections are a quick and simple procedure.
