[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/reflexknees.com\/blogs\/stem-cell-therapy-at-reflex\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/reflexknees.com\/blogs\/stem-cell-therapy-at-reflex\/","headline":"Stem Cell Therapy at Reflex","name":"Stem Cell Therapy at Reflex","description":"Reflex is pleased to announce that we will now be offering\u00a0Stem Cell Therapy for knee osteoarthritis (OA). This breakthrough treatment uses the body\u2019s own regenerative mechanisms to not only slow down the inflammation process, but also potentially heal damaged tissue through cartilage regeneration.   Research on stem cell therapy for medical conditions has been around […]","datePublished":"2016-01-11","dateModified":"2024-01-09","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/reflexknees.com\/author\/developer\/#Person","name":"Nick Petersen","url":"https:\/\/reflexknees.com\/author\/developer\/","identifier":2,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8ea7fc410413ee0b715aee4c6b2d912c09623af5f85eaca6f6d7e0a2c223e1df?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8ea7fc410413ee0b715aee4c6b2d912c09623af5f85eaca6f6d7e0a2c223e1df?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Reflex Knee Specialists","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/b1ec2b6df7.nxcli.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/logo.png","url":"http:\/\/b1ec2b6df7.nxcli.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/logo.png","width":169,"height":104}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/reflexknees.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/2518093.webp","url":"https:\/\/reflexknees.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/2518093.webp","height":2316,"width":1536},"url":"https:\/\/reflexknees.com\/blogs\/stem-cell-therapy-at-reflex\/","about":["Blogs"],"wordCount":836,"articleBody":"Reflex is pleased to announce that we will now be offering\u00a0Stem Cell Therapy for knee osteoarthritis (OA). This breakthrough treatment uses the body\u2019s own regenerative mechanisms to not only slow down the inflammation process, but also potentially heal damaged tissue through cartilage regeneration. Research on stem cell therapy for medical conditions has been around for decades, with great strides being made in the past several years it has become a hot conversation topic. Stem cell therapy is part of the new field of regenerative medicine, which focuses on treatments that help the body heal itself and have the potential to repair damaged tissues that don\u2019t heal well.  What are stem cells? Every cell in the human body originated from a\u00a0stem cell. They are the source cells (also called \u2018progenitor cells\u2019) that allow our bodies to heal and renew as old cells die, and one of their essential characteristics is that they are \u2018undifferentiated\u2019 \u2013 meaning they haven\u2019t been fully programmed and can be stimulated to produce several different cell types. Depending on the type of stem cell,\u00a0it can potentially become bone, cartilage, muscle, nerve,\u00a0or organ\u00a0tissues. Where do stem cells come from? Stem cells are present in a variety tissues, including adipose tissue (fat), bone marrow,\u00a0amniotic fluid, umbilical cord blood, and embryos. Due to ethical concerns, only adult stem cells are used for stem cell treatments. Historically, the most common source of gathering stem cells for transplantation has been bone marrow. This form of harvest requires drilling into bone \u2014 usually the pelvis \u2013 to reach the marrow cavity. This process can be painful and may take a few days for a patient to fully recover. However, in recent years a new source of adult stem cells has been identified which doesn\u2019t require drilling into bone \u2013 since adipose (fat) tissue also has a high concentration of stem cells. In fact, there are 500 times more stem cells per gram of tissue in fat than in bone marrow. Not only is fat readily accessible, but harvesting adipose tissue is also significantly less painful than harvesting from bone marrow. For these reasons, Reflex is excited to offer\u00a0Stem Cell Therapy\u00a0via adipose harvesting methods. How can stem cells potentially help patients with knee osteoarthritis? Osteoarthritis is caused by cartilage degeneration. Since cartilage has no blood vessels, it has very low healing potential \u2013 making it a prime target for stem cell treatment. Stem cells have the potential to help\u00a0diseased or damaged\u00a0tissue regain its function, as well as the potential to replace\u00a0damaged cells.  Why is PRP mixed with stem cell? When PRP is injected into the knee, it recruits stem cells to the damaged tissue, which may be its most vital function. Since there are relatively few stem cells residing inside the knee, the healing potential of PRP is severely limited by the lack of stem cells. With the addition of stem cell transplantation, a large quantity of stem cells are transferred into the knee, providing PRP a greater potential to orchestrate actual healing of damaged cartilage. How safe and effective is stem cell treatment for Knee OA? Since large, randomized, controlled studies have not been\u00a0conducted on stem cell treatments in knee OA, effectiveness, and safety of this treatment is still\u00a0unknown. Although extensive studies have not yet been performed to prove its benefit, there are several physicians around the world who have reported favorable outcomes \u2014 including cartilage regeneration \u2014 with stem cell transplantation.\u00a0Thousands of stem cell procedures are being performed each year around the world, and no serious adverse reactions or safety concerns have emerged. What are some of the variables that determine successful stem cell transplantation therapy? The quality and potency of stem cells vary from person to person. For example, as people age their stem cells lose potency, so patients older than 70 are not likely to have the same results as someone who is 45. Chronic conditions such as diabetes may affect the quality of stem cells and overall healing potential. Medications may also affect the quality of stem cells. For these reasons, outcomes following stem cell treatment are unique in each individual. Is stem cell transplantation for knee OA approved by the FDA? As previously mentioned, there are no large, randomized trials proving benefit or safety of stem cell transplantation for knee OA. Therefore, this treatment is considered experimental and is not currently approved by the FDA. This means that the procedure will not be covered by health\u00a0insurance at this time. To learn more about Stem Cell Therapy and to find out if you\u2019re a candidate, give us a call at (503) 719-6783 or\u00a0schedule an appointment\u00a0today.  This is a rapidly-evolving field, and Reflex is keeping abreast of the latest developments in the promising field of Regenerative Medicine. We will be providing additional information about stem cell therapy as it becomes available."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blogs","item":"https:\/\/reflexknees.com\/blogs\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Stem Cell Therapy at Reflex","item":"https:\/\/reflexknees.com\/blogs\/stem-cell-therapy-at-reflex\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]