Stem cells + PRP therapy?

[Squatch]

Has anyone here ever gone through this type of treatment for arthritis? I'm overdue for new knees (and a few other parts). My son has a degree in microbiology and is a sports nut and player. He has been talking to me about this stuff. It seems several pro athletes have gone through it. Recently knee surgery came up on another forum. A person checked in and said check this out. He was involved in working on the equipment that separates the stem cells. He felt that this stuff may replace a large amount of joint replacement surgery within 3-5 years. It seems there is a center that does this stuff near me. The more I read the more interested I become. I have no desire to have pieces of my body cut away and replaced ever.

This is actually a patented procedure for this.
Regenexx | The Trusted Alternative to Orthopedic Surgery

This has nothing to do with embryonic stem cells.

Got any experience or feedback?

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

No experience, but I am going to hitchhike on your thread. Our family legacy is arthritis and joint replacement.

Good luck on your new knees!!!!

 

[Cooter]

My wife is having the Regenexx stem cell therapy done next week on both knees. We researched for a while and decided on this procedure. My background is medical products RD for one of the companies that developed adult CD34 stem cell therapy. We developed the Isolex system. I worked on a very small part of this therapy among many other projects. I am very familiar with the original clinical done on heart patients and very confident that within the next ten years many surgeries will be replaced by stem cell. Any part of the body can be repaired with this it is just a matter of running the clinical trial for each specific part. The great thing is that it uses your own CD34 stem cells so you have no rejection problems. During therapy they will extract the cells from either your bone marrow or blood depending on the number of cells needed and then reinject them in the target area. Sounds simple but three major companies and a billion dollars over twenty years went in to development that I know about.

I was probably the person on the other forum if it was Expedition Portal.

 

[Squatch]

I just posted a thanks to you over there.

From what I have read I may be too far gone for any kind of regeneration. I've been bone on bone for a while. My periodic blood work and physical are early next month. I'll take that info with me and go see these folks and see what they have to say.
http://stemcellarts.com/

I've been holding off on the surgery for years hoping for something like this, My son has been telling me it was coming. He is pretty knowledgeable on things at the cellular and molecular level.

We have some experience in our household with some of the lasting side effects of major surgery that aren't very pleasant. Things like adhesions (non orthopedic) and the like. Often surgeries just trade one issue for another and cause new chronic problems. I have known 2 people personally that had knee replacements that didn't work well. I know it's a small percentage but it was living hell for those folks. I'm willing to explore any legitimate option that's non surgical. Surgery is the option of absolute last resort to me. I've had arthroscopic knee surgery in the past. That's one thing. Taking a sawzall to my leg bones is another that I don't relish unless I've exhausted all other options.

Best wishes to your wife and keep me/us posted on how thing transpire. I've been doing a lot of research on this the last few days and I realize this is a many month deal. Get the shots today and the results come in over months or a couple of years as the body heals itself.

 

[cwdtmmrs]

I had my knee replaced 3 months ago and I can tell you it isn't for whimps! I put it off as long as possible, but it started to affect my hip and lower back, so I had no choice. Therapy is brutal if you want the maximum articulation and strength. I still work at it 2 hours/day, and that is what it takes if you want more than just be able to get from the couch to the fridge.

cwd

 

[Squatch]

I want to be able to do 100 mile rides on my bike again!

 

[cwdtmmrs]

Squatch, you would if you did what I am doing. I want to be able to hunt, fish and backpack like before. If I can't pack an elk out with a pack frame I will be disappointed.


cwd

 

[Taku]

Three weeks out from knee replacement surgery. PT is going well, for me, not much difference than other knee surgeries I have had. The most pain is associated with the amount of muscles cut and healing. Most folks who I know who have had replacement surgery are back to hiking, biking, climbing, etc within the year, usually six months. Looking forward to that! Good luck whichever way you go. The surgery is not easy, but neither is years of chronic pain.