1.5 Year Follow-up on Knee Stem Cell Procedure

knee stem cell procedure

It’s always good to hear from Regenexx-C patients to see how they’re faring long-term. JB is a 52 year old male who had a 15-20 year history of right knee pain who we treated about a year and a half ago using his own stem cells. This knee had undergone several menisectomies through the years and by about 2007 he started to have problems with his active lifestyle (he loved bow hunting in the mountains). He then began cortisone shots with all of the associated risks. By 2009/2010 he was told he needed a knee replacement due to severe arthritis. At that point he was nearing a master’s level archery certification for bow hunting and he knew that he could never achieve that lifetime goal with a knee replacement. Another issue was that he couldn’t stand for more than 5 minutes without having to hobble someplace to sit down. When he was first evaluated, we thought he has a poor candidate for our knee stem cell procedure because of the severe medial knee arthritis and loss of much of his meniscus due to the surgeries. However, he still wanted to try the procedure, as he was adamant about needing to avoid a knee replacement. He was treated by our clinic through the injection of his own stem cells into the right knee in the early summer of 2010. One month later he could stand for long periods and over several months he got to the point where he felt good enough to begin exercising again and began losing weight. This year his untreated left knee is worse than his treated right knee. The right knee, other than soreness after intense activity, is functioning great. He reports more mobility and range of motion, which has allowed him to strengthen his quads. He can also now stand for extended periods of time without hobbling around like an old man. I spoke to him yesterday because he’s now back to get a second round of Regenexx-C treatments for the right knee, and wants stem cell treatments for the left side as well. The upshot? JB’s knee isn’t perfect, but he was able to achieve his archery certification without a knee replacement and hopefully we can keep him bow hunting for many years to come!

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Chris Centeno, MD is a specialist in regenerative medicine and the new field of Interventional Orthopedics. Centeno pioneered orthopedic stem cell procedures in 2005 and is responsible for a large amount of the published research on stem cell use for orthopedic applications. View Profile

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NOTE: This blog post provides general information to help the reader better understand regenerative medicine, musculoskeletal health, and related subjects. All content provided in this blog, website, or any linked materials, including text, graphics, images, patient profiles, outcomes, and information, are not intended and should not be considered or used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please always consult with a professional and certified healthcare provider to discuss if a treatment is right for you.

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