Is stem cell injection therapy an effective treatment option for osteoarthritic knee pain?

Authors

Steven Aron Brewer, University of LynchburgFollow

Specialty

Pain management

Advisor

Elyse Watkins

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common arthropathy of the knee and affects more than a quarter of a billion patients worldwide.¹ In the United States alone, 27 million people have clinical osteoarthritis with an associated treatment cost of $185.5 billion per year.² The incidence of OA has doubled in women and tripled in men over the last twenty years.² This type of arthritis is multifactorial and characterized by progressive destruction of articular cartilage and the subchondral bone. The progressive nature of the disease leads to increased pain, weakness, immobility, and ultimately, disability. There are currently more than 50 modalities of pharmacological, nonpharmacological and surgical treatments for OA.³ Some of the most common treatments for arthritic knee pain consist of recommendations for weight loss, rehabilitation, oral analgesic medications, and intra-articular injections. The prevailing injection treatments consist of corticosteroids, platelet-rich plasma, or hyaluronic acid in an attempt to limit the destruction of the knee cartilage.

Mesenchymal stem cells are stromal cells that have two distinct abilities that make them a possible excellent treatment for arthritic knee pain. This paper seeks to determine if mesenchymal stem cell injections are a viable treatment option for OA of the knee.

Recommended Citation

Brewer SA. Is stem cell injection therapy an effective treatment option for osteoarthritic knee pain?. University of Lynchburg DMSc Doctoral Project Assignment Repository. 2019; 1(4).