Can stem cell therapy help you avoid a hip replacement?
For some patients, yes. Stem cells collected from bone marrow or fat can be concentrated and injected into the hip joint, where their growth factors and anti-inflammatory properties may reduce pain and support tissue repair. Studies report pain relief and better function for many people with joint damage or osteoarthritis, helping some delay or avoid hip replacement.
Stem cell therapy gets a lot of attention as a treatment option for diseases such as anemia, blood disorders, leukemia, bone marrow cancers and lymphoma. But there is burgeoning hope in the field of orthopedics for the use of stem cell therapy to prevent degenerative bone and tissue disease. This is known as orthopedic regenerative medicine.
That’s because stem cells contain growth factors and anti-inflammatory properties that can not only stimulate healing and reduce pain, but promote tissue regeneration as well. Studies show that stem cell therapy offers pain relief and functional improvement for people suffering from joint damage or osteoarthritis.
Turns out, stem cell therapy can act as an alternative to hip replacement surgery thanks to its regenerative nature. More than 450,000 hip replacements are performed each year in the U.S. Stem cell therapy could be an alternative to the long, painful recovery times of surgery.
How It Works
Because stem cells can be harvested from bone marrow or adipose tissue and then concentrated, they can easily be injected into the affected hip joint while promoting tissue repair and regeneration. They essentially help to restore damaged cartilage within the hip joint.
In many cases, such therapy has helped patients avoid or delay the need for hip replacement surgery. In fact, stem cell therapy may reduce the need for nearly 10 percent of hip replacements, according to a study by the Yale School of Medicine, while also alleviating hip pain and promoting healing.
This gives hope for patients who wish to restore joint function and reduce pain, but more importantly improve their quality of life. Those who want a more natural, less invasive option to hip joint restoration can turn to regenerative therapy, and more specifically, stem cell therapy as a non-surgical option.
In Conclusion
While more research has to be done, it’s clear that stem cell therapy shows great promise in helping people avoid or delay hip replacement surgery altogether. This is all made possible thanks to the regenerative properties of cartilage-forming cells and the release of healing factors. How effective stem cell therapy will be for each patient will depend on a variety of factors and treatment protocols.
Contact Michigan Center for Regenerative Medicine
Regenerative medicine is a quick, minimally invasive treatment option that may help some patients delay the need for a hip replacement. With limited downtime and relatively quick symptom relief, it makes sense to try stem cell therapy before having to resort to invasive surgery. Call our pain specialists for a no-obligation consultation today to learn how it all works.
By Board-certified Doctor John Santa Ana, DO
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