Do Stem Cells work for arthritis?

My Doctor's partner needed a knee replacement. I asked her if she'd considered stem cell therapy. She said yes, but it's not perfected yet. She said it's just too early for those of us in need of relief, right now.

Also I would not have any procedure in Thailand unless I was a resident here with superior local knowledge. There are good hospitals in Bangkok however they don't attract the world's best surgeons or have the reputation or facilities that a specialist top class western hospital in U.S, Australia, Singapore or U.K. might. Having lived over here in Thailand I would always travel home to Australia if it was possible.

I looked this up last year when the subject came up.

If your arthritis is bone on bone, stem cell therapy is too late for you. There is a trial which started in 2014 & goes on for 5 years & eligible patients are asked if they would like to participate. It is being run by Arthritis UK. It involves 2 operations initially, one to remove stem cells from the knee cartilage which is keyhole & 1 to remove bone marrow from the hip. These cells are then grown in vitro. Once the cells are ready for implantation, the last operation is performed. This is an open knee procedure, the same as TKR! But without the drilling & bone shaving! The trial then goes on to participate in 12 months of intensive rehabilitation & physiotherapy. With movement, & weight training etc. 

So to recap, stem cell treatment is only used for moderate osteo arthritis, cannot be used for bone on bone arthritis & there are more operations than TKR & intensive rehabilitation.  

Therefore it most definitely is NOT the soft option! 

Sorry to burst your bubble.

I hope you have a Happy Christmas & are not in too much pain.

Marilyn 

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​I am in the UK and like you did not want surgery. So I did copious amounts of research into stem cell therapy and eventually found someone who could do the procedure in the UK - there are only about 3 surgeons at present. However, the same as the other follower,  I too was told bone on bone will not work and a replacement is the only option. I have since had a partial medial replacement which was a success and am now going to go ahead with stem cell therapy for the other knee which although reduced cartilage it has enough for the stem cells to adhere to.

​Hope this helps

I echo all that’s been said here. I had stem cell treatment 7 years ago in U.K. I was able to have this as it wasn’t bone on bone. It gave me 7 great years. Ive recently had a TKR as it was bone on bone. 

I was the same way in my 50"s after 4 knee scopes and increasing arthritis.  I used Synvisc for 5-6 years; three-shot treatment lasted 10-12 months each.  Then I moved from cold New Jersey to warm Texas and needed nothing for SIX YEARS!!!  At 68 finally had the first TKR...putting off the second because I have little to no pain in that knee.  I would try that route first.

I was approached about the stem cells years ago and you are at the upper age, I think, where they would do them.  At that time, I was too old and the treatment was "experimental".  From what I understand, the older you get, the less chance for success.  However, I haven't looked into that therapy for a while.  You hear a bit of it on the Forum with mixed results.  If you are considering this, I'd do a lot of research into it first...peer reviewed medical journals!!!  No stupid websites and don't take the word of a few patients, good or bad.  This would be a big decision...you need accurate information.  But Thailand???  Really???