Stem Cell Therapy for Knees as an Alternative to Knee Replacement
Patients living in the Santa Barbara, Goleta, Santa Maria and Ventura, California communities who experience chronic knee pain due to osteoarthritis are often severely limited in their daily activities. Many knee surgeons recommend a total knee replacement surgery as the only option. Although knee replacement is a good long term solution to alleviate symptoms of arthritis, patients may want to delay the surgery due to its difficulty and lengthy recovery. Stem cell therapy for knees is offered by Dr. Jervis Yau, and may provide a safe, effective and non-invasive treatment option for selective candidates.
Knee Anatomy
The knee joint is composed of three major bones and a complex system of ligaments, tendons and muscles. The ends of each bone are covered by a smooth, white substance known as articular cartilage. Cartilage plays an important role in knee health by providing a fluid, pain-free gliding surface when the bones move. When articular cartilage begins to break down due to the natural aging process or previous injury, the bones begin to rub against each other causing pain, swelling and loss of joint function.
Stem Cell Therapy for Knees as a Knee Repair Option
When a patient begins experiencing symptoms of knee osteoarthritis, conservative measures are usually prescribed. Common non-surgical treatments include activity modification, weight loss, medications and physical therapy. A total knee replacement may be the recommended if these options fail to alleviate the painful symptoms of arthritis. Younger patients and active patients may not be ideal candidates for knee replacement. Therefore, stem cell therapy for knees may be the ideal alternative to knee replacement.
Adult Stem Cell Therapy as an Alternative to Knee Replacement
Autologous adult stem cell therapy for knees is a minimally-invasive treatment used to alleviate pain in patients with osteoarthritis. Autologous stem cells are harvested from a patient’s pelvis and have the natural ability to decrease pain and improve function of the joint.
Stem cell therapy for knees offers a safe, effective and minimally-invasive alternative to knee replacement. Autologous stem cell therapy requires Dr. Yau to harvest a sample of bone marrow directly from the patient’s pelvis. After the bone marrow is extracted, the aspirate is spun down in a centrifuge to separate the adult stem cells, platelets, red and white blood cells. This preparation is then injected directly into the damaged area to promote healing of articular cartilage.
For additional information on stem cell therapy for knees as a knee repair option, or to determine if you are a candidate for this alternative to knee replacement, please contact the Santa Barbara, Goleta, Santa Maria and Ventura, California area orthopedic office of knee surgeon Dr. Jervis Yau.
