Can stem cell therapy enhance the surgical treatment of joint injury?
A Villar Bajwa Practice (UK) clinical trial suggests that stem cell therapy boosts joint preservation, and could therefore reduce the need for replacement surgeries
A clinical study from the Villar Bajwa Practice (UK) research group has suggested that stem cell therapy is an effective treatment for joint injury. The results were presented at the annual congress of the International Society of Hip Arthroscopy in Cambridge (UK).
The study, which is the first of its kind, recruited 80 patients aged between 19 and 69. The patients were treated with hip arthroscopy combined with bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) or hip arthroscopy alone.
Richard Villar commented: “For the first time, we have comparative data to show the advantages of using cell therapy treatment in joint preservation. In future patients will have more options; rather than simply surrender their quality of life, or opt for a joint replacement, they may be suitable for joint preservation using a biological solution.”
The researchers found evidence for significant, maintained improvement in pain and functional scores (of approximately 25%) among the BMAC-treated group. Additionally, only 2.5% of patients treated with BMAC alongside hip arthroscopy required subsequent surgery, compared with 10% of patients who underwent keyhole surgery alone.
‘It’s an exciting time to be an orthopaedic surgeon. These findings may revolutionise sports injury medicine and they also provide a glimpse into the future where, for a proportion of patients, hip replacement may be a thing of the past,’ concluded Ali Bajwa.
— Written by Daphne Boulicault