Patients and physicians share the common goal of avoiding knee replacement—when possible. As our Knee Restoration Center strives to offer the latest SCIENCE-BASED alternatives (no voodoo, crystals or “stem cell cure” hype at our center) to full knee replacement, many patients seek our guidance.
The fundamental goal of the Stem Cell, Ortho-Biologics and Regenerative Medicine Program is to provide cutting edge treatments with a sound scientific foundation. The program is an evolution of the Cartilage Restoration Center that was conceptualized in 1995 and has grown to involve complete knee restoration including articular cartilage, ligaments and menisci. Patients often present for cartilage restoration, but unfortunately the knee is no longer a candidate for knee restoration.
Stem cells are present in most adult tissues. Harvesting is most commonly from adipose tissue or bone marrow. Both have advantages and disadvantages. For adipose tissue, there is typically more than adequate amounts for harvest and the number of stems cells per unit volume is greater than bone marrow.
All supposedly cutting edge arthritis treatments are not the same. Some arthritis treatments are frankly scams—current day "Snake Oil". These "arthritis remedies" play on the known variability of arthritis symptoms. If you have knee arthritis, you have noticed that you have some good days, some bad days and some very bad days—with NO change in your treatment. This is the normal course of knee arthritis symptoms—and life for that matter!
ReNu, as previously discussed, is cryopreserved human amniotic membrane (HAM) and human amniotic fluid derived cells, which include “stem cells” (HAFCs). This tissue is obtained from healthy volunteer donors. Specifically, this is NOT fetal tissue. It is the fluid and the placenta that would normally be discarded at childbirth. Fortunately, with preservation and separation of the layers of the placenta, the amnion layer and cells can be preserved to make use of their unique properties.
I am beginning a study of the KineSpring® System as the chief primary investigator. The KineSpring System is intended to treat symptoms of pain and loss of function caused by medial compartment knee osteoarthritis.
Right now, doctors at 5 other sites in the United State are working with me on this clinical research study, the SOAR Clinical Trial, to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the KineSpring System for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.
A new pilot clinical study evaluating a new treatment option for osteoarthritis symptoms is currently available only at OrthoIndy. There is no charge if patients meet inclusion/exclusion criteria. The treatment is a single knee injection. The injection is a suspension of micro-pulverized frozen amniotic membrane and amniotic fluid stem cells.
The goal of the meeting was to introduce basic science avant-garde concepts to current practitioners of cartilage both in the clinical and business world of cartilage. The concepts ranged from whole limb regeneration to stem cells to genetic evaluation of cartilage degeneration risk factors.
When “new” knee anatomy makes headlines not only in an academic journal, but also in Time magazine and is an answer on Jeopardy, it must be a spectacular discovery. The reality is that the ligament, the anterior lateral ligament or ALL, was first observed by a French surgeon, Segund, in 1876.