23 Jun The Science of MSC Stem Cell Therapy for Orthopedics
By Farhan Malik, MD
Atlanta Innovative Medicine
Regenerative medicine has emerged as a transformative field in recent years, driven by a pressing need for innovative healthcare solutions that can address the limitations of conventional treatments.
Conventional treatments for orthopedic issues often involve medications, which focus solely on managing symptoms, or surgeries that are invasive, costly, and sometimes high-risk. Recognizing these limitations, researchers have turned their attention to stem cell therapy as a solution.
Harnessing the regenerative potential of MSC stem cells, scientists have conducted numerous preclinical studies in animals, which have yielded astounding results, and these successes have paved the way for further exploration and research in humans.
Taking an interdisciplinary approach, scientists, clinicians, and biostatisticians are evidencing the efficacy of current stem cell procedures in treating musculoskeletal issues, as well as revealing its untapped potential within and beyond orthopedic medicine.
Stem Cell Therapy for Treating Musculoskeletal Injuries, Defects, & Disease
One factor that makes orthopedic treatment particularly challenging is the complexity of musculoskeletal tissues, which include the bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles. Not only are these intricate structures and complex compositions difficult to replicate, but the body intrinsically has a limited regenerative capacity for repairing these specific tissues on its own.
That’s why stem cell research has focused heavily on the musculoskeletal system. In high concentrations, MSC stem cells are capable of differentiating into these various tissue types to naturally boost the body’s healing process for musculoskeletal injuries, defects, and diseases.
Preclinical studies have demonstrated overwhelming success in utilizing stem cells to promote the healing of sports injuries, bone fractures, tendon disorders, and osteoarthritis, to name a few. In one randomized, controlled clinical trial, patients with knee osteoarthritis demonstrated both pain relief and functional improvement after receiving stem cell injections in the knee.
Additionally, several studies, like this one involving microfracture patients, have been conducted alongside surgical intervention, demonstrating improved outcomes in patients who received both surgical procedure and stem cell injections, rather than surgical procedure alone.
Best Practices in Stem Cell Therapy
With so many potential applications across medical fields, current research is exploring all different types of stem cells. However, in the realm of orthopedic medicine, the primary focus lies on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs or MSC stem cells).
The Versatility of MSC Stem Cells
MSC stem cells are the target of orthopedic stem cell research because they possess the remarkable ability to differentiate into all types of musculoskeletal tissue, including bone, cartilage, ligament, and tendon tissues.
Furthermore, MSCs can be obtained from multiple sources, including bone marrow, tendon, skin, and adipose tissue. This accessibility allows for various approaches in obtaining these cells for therapeutic use, depending on the specific requirements of the treatment.
Adipose & Bone Marrow MSCs
Bone marrow and adipose tissue are currently the two most researched and preferred sources for retrieving MSC stem cells in orthopedic applications. Bone marrow-derived MSCs have been extensively studied and have shown remarkable potential in promoting bone and joint regeneration. Adipose tissue-derived MSCs have gained significant attention due to their abundance and ease of extraction, and growing reports of regenerative success.
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MSC Stem Cells for Repairing Joints, Cartilage, Ligaments & Tendons
After nearly two decades of clinical trials focused on MSC stem cells, countless successful results reinforce these cells’ ability to heal bone fractures and nonunions, reverse joint degeneration through cartilage repair, and recover from ligament and tendon injuries.
MSC Stem Cells for Healing Bone
Stem cell therapy holds tremendous potential for treating bone and joint injuries, including fractures and nonunions. Studies show that MSC stem cells can promote bone formation to heal various bone defects and can even aid the repair of longstanding nonunions.
Remarkably, recent research has also indicated that MSC stem cells can help to repair nerve fibers to heal spinal cord injuries.
MSC Stem Cells for Repairing Cartilage
Cartilage defects, particularly in osteoarthritic knees, are a significant challenge in orthopedics, making the success of stem cell trials in this area especially exciting and critical in orthopedic advancement. Both on its own and in combination with partial surgeries, injections of MSC stem cells have promoted cartilage repair, resulting in remarkable recovery and pain relief in patients with meniscus and other cartilage degeneration.
MSC Stem Cells for Recovering Ligament & Tendon Injuries
Some of the most difficult-to-treat and slow-healing injuries, like Achilles tendon tears and rotator cuff injuries, have shown significant recovery through the use of therapy with MSC stem cells. Promising results in animal studies over the years have led to similar trials in human patients, which continue to show significant healing and functional outcomes in patients.
As this vast and ever-growing research goes to show, stem cell therapy holds immense promise for repairing joints, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. The growing body of evidence highlights the effectiveness and safety of MSC stem cells in promoting tissue regeneration and healing.
As researchers and orthopedic providers ourselves, Atlanta Innovative Medicine is proud to contribute to the critical advancement of research in this field. For this reason, and as part of our commitment to providing safe and effective orthopedic treatments, our clinic utilizes the DataBiologics technology to record, review, and report patient outcomes for all treatments we provide.
Through this comprehensive process, we are able to offer our patients cutting-edge orthopedic treatments with demonstrated safety and success in addressing musculoskeletal injuries, defects, and diseases.
If you’re seeking safe and innovative orthopedic treatments in the Atlanta area, we invite you to explore what AIM can do for you. Our experienced team of medical professionals is dedicated to providing personalized care that leverages the latest advancements in stem cell therapy to help you heal and regain your quality of life. Give us a call to get started: 770.416.9995.
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- Advanced hybrid therapies, including Mesenchymal Stem Cell therapy combined with different mechanisms of action that synergistically come together to support ultimate healing
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- Therapies delivered by an experienced, compassionate team comprised of multidisciplinary experts in traditional and alternative medicine working as your team: Medical Doctors, Nurse Practitioners, Physiotherapists and Chiropractors
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All content of this page is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Individual results may vary. Your medical professional can explain all the risks and potential benefits of any therapy based on your specific circumstances. At this time regenerative therapies are not FDA approved. Neither Atlanta Innovative Medicine nor its physician affiliates promise regenerative therapies as a cure for any condition, disease, or injury.
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