A Look into the Future…Knee Arthritis Treatment 2027
This week, a woman we treated six years ago in Grand Cayman with her own culture-expanded MSCs was seen back at the Colorado clinic. Before I talk about her result, I thought this morning that while we’re sitting here in 2018, this blog is really about what will be all the rage in the late 2020s. Let me explain.
Culture-Expanded MSCs
The type of legal stem cell treatments that are permitted currently in the United States are those that are same-day bone marrow procedures. This is where the bone marrow is harvested from the patient, processed to remove the stem cell fraction, and then reinjected into the patient. While there are many physicians now offering this type of care, to see what we do very differently at Regenexx, click on my video below:
You can also grow the stem cells in this isolated fraction to bigger numbers. This is called culture expansion. We do this down in Grand Cayman for those patients who have more significant disease or who want to be able to save cells for future use. This is not yet permitted in the United States, and our culture-expansion technology is now part of an FDA-approved phase-2 trial here. However, it will be years before we see this more advanced technology approved in the U.S.
Peggy’s Story
Peggy had a history of multiyear knee pain and an MRI in 2012 that showed severe inside compartment arthritis. She made the decision to go down to our licensed Grand Cayman site to get culture-expanded cells, and she just came back to see me this week. She had about six years of relief in the left knee and now it’s beginning to hurt again, and the right is still pain-free but swells with activity. Her MRIs are above.
The MRIs on the left are the left (more symptomatic) knee in 2012 and 2018. There is a bone marrow lesion in the medial (left side of the knee here) femur and tibia, which is the bright area in the dark bone. These stressed and microfractured bone areas should be getting worse over time or turning into cysts, which mean dead bone. On the left that didn’t happen, and they look better now in 2018. On the right one that doesn’t hurt, it’s a mixed bag as there were fewer of these lesions on this side in 2012.
Why This Is What Your Doctor Will Be All Excited About in the Late 2020s
It will be at least 2020 or 2021 until we see a cultured stem cell product that is FDA approved and on the US market. Physicians will then take a few years to adopt this type of therapy to treat knee osteoarthritis, and then add six years for a result like this to pop up. Hence, results like these will be all the rage in the late 2020s. Of course, we’ve been offering these procedures since 2005 and offer them now at our licensed Grand Cayman site. See my video below:
What Orthobiologic Treatments Mean for Knee Replacement Vendors
Expect to see dramatic reductions in the number of knee replacement prostheses being sold as we enter and then progress through the 2020s. While I don’t play the stock market, shorting orthopedic device companies by 2025 will likely yield great results. That is, of course, unless they aggressively buy up orthobiologics companies to stem the bleeding.
The upshot? Regenexx has been ahead of the curve since 2005. The fact that we have patient results now that are between 5–12 years out from our proprietary stem cell procedures is unique. Nobody else can lay claim to anything similar when it comes to the treatment of knee arthritis with culture-expanded cells. More importantly, you can access now what your orthopedic surgeon will be all hopped up about in the late 2020s.
The Regenexx-C procedure is not approved by the USFDA and is only offered in countries via license where culture-expanded autologous cells are permitted via local regulations.
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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.
