Knee Arthritis Treatment: Autologous Bone Marrow Stem Cell Therapy Is Available [Column by Dr. Jaeho Cho]

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[Mediafine Expert Column] The Ministry of Health and Welfare recently designated autologous bone marrow stem cell injection therapy as a new medical technology. In effect, a treatment has emerged that people living with pain from knee arthritis can use without the burden of an approach such as surgery. Knee arthritis can be divided into stages 1 through 4 according to its degree and situation. Autologous bone marrow stem cell injection therapy is a method that patients with stage 2 to stage 3 arthritis can use. Since the period in which the injection can be used is determined by the degree of the condition, one must clearly assess one's own state through examinations such as X-ray, and it is necessary to consider factors such as damage to cartilage thickness through MRI examination.In fact, knee arthritis can be said to be a condition many modern people suffer from. It is a problem appearing more clearly than in the past as population aging deepens, because from the age of 50 onward, arthritis develops as a degenerative issue.Cartilage is much like chalk, wearing down the more it is used. Cartilage weakened by age does not regenerate, and the knee bones come into contact with each other, causing pain.In the past, there was no clear solution for this other than artificial joint surgery. While surgery can be effective, it involves an incision process, which posed a burden to the patient. Also, since knee arthritis itself is a condition that mainly appears in old age, it was not easy for patients to endure.The method devised to solve this problem is precisely stem cell injection therapy. Bone marrow blood is aspirated from the iliac crest part of the patient's pelvic bone, which is adjacent to the skin, then separated into plasma and blood cells using a centrifuge, and only the stem cell layer is drawn off and injected into the cartilage within the knee joint cavity.An effect of about 1 to 2 years can be expected from a single injection, and because autologous bone marrow is harvested and used, there is no risk of rejection or genetic mutation. Since it is a simple injection procedure, it can be received with less burden than artificial joint surgery, which requires a full incision.An important part when undergoing the procedure is establishing a plan suited to you. As mentioned, it can be effective for patients with stage 2 to 3 knee arthritis, and since the procedure is possible only when the cartilage is damaged beyond a certain degree, it can be safer to check these points following the advice of medical staff and then establish the procedure plan.For diagnosis, equipment such as X-ray is usually used. However, since treatment using stem cells, along with diagnosis, involves a sensitive process, it is advisable to proceed together with medical staff who have a high understanding of the treatment and abundant experience. For this, it is necessary to choose a clinic with extensive treatment experience and stem cell management facilities. (Dr. Jaeho Cho, TheLINE Plastic Surgery)Source : Mediafine (https://www.mediafine.co.kr)​​