Orthopedics
Orthopedic Stem Cell Therapy
Orthopedic stem cell treatments & therapy
Orthopedic injuries and degenerative joint diseases are some of the most common conditions that cause discomfort and disability. Arthritis and trauma that leads to loss of cartilage and injured tendons and ligaments from sports is common among athletes. Our study of the use of Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF)-derived stem cells is underway for many of these conditions.
There are many procedures that have been tried with various success rates, ranging from microfracture to stimulate cartilage growth and Platelet Rich Plasma Injections to strengthen ligaments and tendons.
The use of stem cell therapy in Orthopedics is one of the most studied use world wide. Here at the Hawaii Stem Cell Treatment Center we use the stem cell broth of SVF harvested from adipose tissue and deploy the cells to the area of concern. Areas where the stem cells are deployed may include the knees, elbows, shoulders, hands, hips or spine.
The deployment is carried out in our center which maintains the highest standards of sterility by using our network’s patented closed system of deployment. There is minimal manipulation during the harvesting and processing of the SVF. The harvesting, processing, and deployment of your stem cells all happen on the same day in our treatment center. The SVF is harvested from your own fat, taken by liposuction, and sterilely processed right in our facility to yield purified stem cells which will later be deployed to your areas of concern. Deployment of stem cells may require additional medical specialists and use of imaging for precise deployment of the SVF. For example, for certain areas such as the hip or spine, we may make use of ultrasound imaging and a radiologist and orthopedic specialist to assure exact placement of the SVF.
Our network of medical specialists uses the same orthopedic protocols across all cases and maintains an extensive shared data base in which your data will be entered to further research in SVF-derived stem cells for treatment of orthopedic injuries.
Stem cell treatments for knee pain & arthritis
There is exciting research being conducted regarding knee injuries and painful conditions worldwide and here at the Hawaii Stem Cell Research Center. Evidence is accumulating that conditions like meniscal tears may heal more rapidly with injections of stem cells derived from mesenchymal tissue. Painful conditions such as knee arthritis may be treated with various cell based therapies which can result in decreased pain and possible regeneration of cartilage.
More Studies Showing Promise
One study recently reported in Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) demonstrated that a single injection of mesenchymal derived stem cells in the knee provided considerable relief and increased the density of the meniscus in a study of 50 patients. The lead author stated that “The results of this study suggest that mesenchymal stem cells have the potential to improve the overall condition of the knee joint,” said Dr. Vangsness. “I am very excited and encouraged” by the results. With the success of a single injection, “it begs the question: What if we give a series of injections?” This respected journal’s findings are what we are discovering from centers around the world regarding mesenchymal stem cells and its use for treatment of knee conditions. We at the Hawaii Stem Cell Center and our network have been studying the knee joint and improvements are reported extensively. While our studies are ongoing, we are accumulating similar data as treatment centers world wide with patients reporting decreased pain after just one injection.
Hawaii Stem Cell Protocol
Our treatment process is simple and can be conducted in less than 4 hours at our state of the art facility. It involves extraction of fat in a safe and non-invasive liposuction procedure. Our technicians prepare the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) which contains stem cells and regenerative healing factors from the removed fat. The deployment is carried out by an injection in the knee under local numbing with cooling spray. Our patients go home the same day and are monitored with follow up appointments for further study.
With all the jogging, kick boxing and extreme sports going on, there is an increasing susceptibility for knee injuries and development of knee degenerative arthritis. This affects many older athletes who are not quite ready for knee replacement and are seeking alternate treatments. Many have undergone steroid injections and other procedures to relieve pain. Meniscal tears and weak ligaments may be better treated with traditional techniques, yet there are certain cases in which the cellular therapies and stem cells may benefit these conditions. Each of these cases should be evaluated on an individual basis.
Hawaii Stem Cell Treatment Center has developed and improved over years of research with our stem cell network and specific protocols to deploy stem cell broth by preparing the Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF). The process includes harvesting your bodies’ own fat through a small liposuction procedure and processing the fat to extract stem cells, healing factors and growth factors. For an extra boost we also give platelet rich plasma (PRP). The stem cell broth is injected in the knee with a near painless procedure. The entire process takes less than three hours.
Our center seeks to document and study these deployments for conditions such as degenerative arthritis in the knee and knee pain. We maintain an extensive data base of patients’ results for study with our affiliates world wide. If you are interested in receiving stem cell treatment for your knee problem please contact our office. We will evaluate you and determine if you are a suitable candidate.
Stem cell treatment for hip pain & arthritis
The hip joint is one of the largest joints in the body. It is used to support the weight and endures a lot of forces from multiple directions. A well functioning hip moves smoothly and is well lubricated by its large surface area of cartilage. Since the hip joint is so large and experiences many forces and traumas through time, it is no wonder that it degenerates as one ages.
Athletic Injuries
Younger individuals are not spared the pain and disability of hip pain. Athletic injuries are very common in the hip and can lead to early osteoarthritis.
Much of traditional orthopedics has been devoted to hip replacement surgery for athletic injuries and has yielded very good results.
Can Surgery be avoided?
Unfortunately younger patients may have to undergo more than one procedure in their lifetime and risk of infection is always present with rejection of a prosthesis. Rather than adding a foreign body like a prosthesis to the injured area, the Hawaii Stem Cell Center utilizes our body’s building block, the cell, to repair and heal injured areas. This solution of natural cellular repair and minimally invasive treatment is under research across the globe in many centers. A cellular approach using stem cells shows much promise and the medical profession is enthusiastic of a future in stem cell treatment. To date there is no clear data or validated clinical trials that have made it through complete scientific scrutiny, however, several early trials seem to indicate hope is on the horizon with this approach. We do not recommend avoiding hip replacement if that is clearly the best treatment recommended by your surgeon, yet for some cases hip replacement benefits may not be so clearly defined. At Hawaii Stem Cell Treatment Center we like to present all possible pathways of treatment to our patients. We advise that you do your research on available treatments and find what is best for your individual situation.
An alternative approach is presently under study in our network.
At Hawaii Stem Cell Treatment Center we care about this important work being done to help these patients suffering from joint pain pain. With years of experience and access to an extensive shared data base of successful results, we have a protocol developed by our network of specialists for stem cell studies. We utilize the patient’s own body fat to extract Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF) containing stem cells, healing factors, and growth factors to deploy to the hip. This technique is part of our ongoing studies. Results are promising for relief from joint pain and perhaps disability utilizing the healing factors and anti inflammatory properties of the stem cell broth. Deployment of the SVT is may be done under CAT scan visualization and local anesthesia.
Our global network of physicians maintain a shared data base to enter the findings of this study so that we may improve this protocol and study the results to share with our network. If you would like to see if you are candidate for our protocol for treatment of hip pain, hip arthritis and problems of the hip please contact our office.
Additionally we use other specialist such as invasive radiologist and orthopedic specialist in many cases to carry out this deployment. Our network uses the same orthopedic protocols and maintains an extensive shared data base in which your data will be entered if accepted in these research protocols.