Knee Surgery: Will Stem Cell Injections Speed Recovery?

Knee Surgery And Recovery Go Hand-In-Hand

The knees endure years of wear and tear from everyday use. For athletes, the stress on the joint increases even more than average to perform at the highest level. These are some of the many reasons why millions of Americans experience knee pain every year. Some will need knee surgery to reduce the pain, replace ligaments, or improve the range of motion. Surgery, however, is just a tiny fraction of the journey to healthier knees. Recently, medical professional have found value in stem cell injections to speed up recovery.

Why need surgery in the first place?

The knees form a joint where the ends of the thigh and leg bones meet, along with a knee cap. Each bone has smooth cartilage that acts as a shock absorber. Attached to these bones are a series of ligaments that help with stability and flexibility. Conditions like osteoarthritis and cartilage damage can cause pain, stiffness, and discomfort. For athletes, an injury can cause tears to ligaments like the ACL, MCL, or meniscus. Surgery seeks to address these issues by replacing ligaments, removing the damaged cartilage, or even replacing the joint.

The need for better recovery

Knee surgery has evolved into a minimally invasive procedure. Surgeons use small incisions to access and operate on the knee. While these techniques reduce the chances of infection, there is still a limit on recovery times. Ligaments and cartilage in the knee lack a blood supply and are unable to regenerate naturally. Furthermore, recovery times are sometimes longer in older patients. Stem cells can help with not only recovery but regenerating fresh tissue.

What are stem cell injections?

Stem cell therapy has been a highly debated topic for years. Stem cells are the body’s raw materials that can form into different parts of the body. The most common stem cells are embryonic stem cells, but doctors use mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for treatment. These are multipotent, adult cells that turn into skin cells, tissue, ligaments, and much more. Placing many stem cells in the knee should be faster healing, reduced pain and new tissue growth.

What to expect in stem cell therapy

Stem cell therapy is a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure. The clinic or medical professional will first extract material from the patient using a syringe. This material comes from the patient’s bone marrow or adipose tissue. The sample contains just a tiny fraction of MSCs, but enough for the clinic to isolate and multiply. When the stem cells are ready, the doctor injects the concentrated cells into the patient’s knee. The entire process takes 2-3 hours, and the patient will only feel mild discomfort at the injection site.

Can it speed up recovery?

Stem cell injections can take multiple sessions lasting several weeks. Over that time, the clinic may also use techniques like platelet-rich plasma to stimulate blood flow to the area. Introducing new stem cells to the knees will help with healing, inflammation, and overall recovery. For instance, studies show that MSC therapy improves pain in patients with severe osteoarthritis. Other studies show combining stem cell injections with surgery increases the effectiveness of the procedure.

Take the first step today

Stem cells do an excellent job of improving pain and inflammation. Knee surgery patients should recognize these positive effects over time. Of course, with any procedure, there is a risk of failure or side effects. The main concerns for stem cell injections are infections at the injection site or unexpected immune responses. Stem cell injections are still relatively new in the field of joint repair. However, the results are promising. Before or after knee surgery, speak with the surgeon about adding stem cells as part of the recovery process.