As people live longer, age-related diseases are becoming a serious concern. With the aging population and the rise in obesity rates, it is expected that the number of individuals affected by osteoarthritis will continue to increase in the coming years. Osteoarthritis is the fourth leading cause of disability worldwide, with a burden mostly attributed to arthritis of the hips and knees.
Obesity is considered a mechanical factor that predisposes to knee OA due to the increased mechanical load on the knee joint. Wrong posture is frequently observed in occupations where workers have to maintain an awkward position for long periods of time. Repetitive microtrauma is related to some kind of professional activity or sports that subject the joints to continuous low-grade stress, such as long-distance running or football. Although there are several risk factors for OA development, unfortunately, no primary prevention method.
The standard treatment for knee osteoarthritis (OA) is focused on managing symptoms and slowing the progression of the disease rather than addressing the root cause. This approach often leads to patients requiring surgery, which comes with a host of risks and side effects, including mortality, persistent pain, and dissatisfaction.
Stem cell therapy is a potential alternative to these outdated treatments, with the potential to regenerate joint structures and improve patient outcomes. This therapy is still in the early stages of development, but data from clinical studies suggests that it may be a safe and effective treatment for knee OA. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and develop an optimal stem cell therapy protocol.
A study, Safety and efficacy of allogenic placental mesenchymal stem cells for treating knee osteoarthritis: a pilot study, evaluated the effects of stem cell therapy on patients with knee OA.
Results of the Study
The study sought to evaluate the effects of stem cells on knee osteoarthritis (OA). A total of twenty patients with knee OA were enrolled in the study, with participants coming from November 2015 to December 2016. To assess the efficacy of stem cell treatment, knee range of motion (ROM), visual analogue scale (VAS), and Knee OA Outcome Score (KOOS) questionnaire were utilized before injection and at 2, 8, and 24 weeks after treatment.
Additionally, knee magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA) was conducted to evaluate intra-articular structures before and 24 weeks after stem cell treatment. Patients were divided into two groups, with one group receiving the injection of stem cells and the other group receiving an injection of saline.
The study found that stem cell therapy for knee OA is safe. Four patients in the MSC group had increased local pain and slight fluid buildup. The patients who experienced these symptoms were able to resolve them within 48 to 72 hours. There were no serious adverse events at the 24-week follow-up.
Knee range of motion was used to evaluate patients at 2, 8, and 24 weeks after treatment. The MSC group showed improvement in ROM scores between the two-week and 24-week follow-up. These findings suggest that stem cell therapy may be a safe and effective treatment option for patients with knee OA.
The study found that patient ligament thickness improved from the treatment. The researchers used MRA evaluation to increase the sensitivity and specificity of chondral thickness quantification. Chondral thickness increased in 10% of total knee joint cartilage areas in patients who underwent the treatment. Patients saw chondral thickness increases in the SMP-Max, MMP-Max, and TCL-Min areas. The results suggest that MSC treatment can improve ligament function and prevent further cartilage degeneration in patients with knee OA.
Patients reported improvements in their pain based on the KOOS pain score. This improvement is exciting for knee OA patients who often deal with long-term chronic pain. However, the improvements in pain stopped eight weeks after receiving the treatment. Additionally, the VAS score did not show any patient improvement in pain. Other studies have found that stem cell therapy leads to improvements in pain, but this aspect of treatment will have to continue to be investigated.
The researchers concluded that stem cell therapy is a safe and potentially effective treatment for knee OA patients. The study highlighted the potential to improve clinical outcomes. The researchers stressed that multiple stem cell injections could improve the efficacy of the treatment. Patients may need to continue to receive stem cell treatments to continue to repair the damage in the knee. Their study highlighted the need for more large-scale clinical trials to determine the long-term effectiveness of stem cell therapy for knee OA.
