Home › Blog › Treating Ankle Arthritis with Stem Cells

CB is a 40 yo woman who injured her ankle in a car crash 3 years ago and was left with chronic and high level constant ankle pain. She was first evaluated by our clinic in July of this year. In the crash, she fractured her tibia and fibula which required immediate surgery. A second surgery was then performed six days later and then a third surgery was needed to place internal rods and plates. When she was evaluated three years later by Dr. Schultz to determine if she was a candidate for ankle stem cell therapy, one of her main ankle joints showed severe narrowing and arthritis with scarring in the ligaments and misaligned bones. Because of our Orthopedics 2.0 focus which requires us to look beyond how stem cells might help the patient’s ankle arthritis, we noted that her ankle was unstable with the deltoid ligaments being stretched. These important ligaments support the inside of the ankle and had been overlooked as part of her surgical work-up. To get a better idea of what was happening with her arthritic ankle, our team ordered a diagnostic ultrasound with exam, where unlike an MRI, the ankle could be moved while the ligaments were being imaged. This showed that pretty much all ankle ligaments were stretched. Using exact ultrasound guidance, she underwent a Regenexx-SD stem cell procedure in August with Dr. Hanson which treated not only the arthritic ankle joint, but also the lax ligaments.  While not every Regenexx-SD patient can expect these results, she just sent us this e-mail over the weekend:

Dr. Hanson,

I know how busy you are but I needed to say these few words, “THANK YOU SO MUCH.”

Yesterday, I participated in a yearly, …Kidney Foundation Kidney walk and for the first time since my ankle injury was able to walk 10 miles. Over the past three years it was difficult for me to walk two miles due to my level of pain. I was so proud and honored to be able to finish the walk. I’m very impressed by my results of Regenexx so far. It has been only three weeks since my stem cells were injected. My swelling has decreased by at least 30% and my ankle is not near as stiff as it was before regenexx. The pain has decreased to a point that I actually feel whole again.

We had four straight days of rain and cooler weather last week and I was shocked how much my pain level has decreased. I’m still experiencing mild to moderate pain in areas on the outside of my ankle joint as opposed to the inside joint that was giving me so much grief before regenexx. However, due to pain reduction I feel so happy, energetic, hopeful, and grateful. This time last year due to such severe pain I made a trip to …to see a surgeon for an ankle fusion or replacement. I backed out due to fear of results of surgery. Thank God I did.

I thank God for regenexx and wonderful doctors like you and Dr. Schultz. You have WONDERFUL bedside manners and you made me feel so comfortable. …You made me laugh and made me feel like a person and not a number. I can see your compassion and I can tell you that us patients appreciate it and value it. …You are AWESOME!! You have helped give me a better quality of life and I now have HOPE about being able to continue to spend the rest of my life working to help others in need. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU!!!

We look forward to seeing how CB progresses, but are very encouraged about her report of early results.

NOTE:  Regenexx-SD is a medical procedure and like all  medical procedures has a success and failure rate.  Not all Regenexx-SD patients can expect the same result.

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