New Stem Cell Treatment-- Could It Eliminate or Delay Knee and Hip Replacements?

News reports out of Sydney, Australia are sharing promising results for patients with osteoarthritis. In a couple of studies going on there, patients with hip or joint osteoarthritis, a new technique involving stem cells is undergoing clinical trials.

Human Stem Cells

According to reports, patients in these studies first undergo liposuction to harvest the stem cells needed for the procedure. The stem cells are then processed in a laboratory, and when ready (about four weeks later), they are injected into the same patient's affected joint.

This is the first time that a treatment of this type is being tried...and while still incomplete, the early results are quite remarkable. Interestingly, the patients with most severe joint damage seem to be the ones who benefit the most!

The results are yet unpublished...but it's exciting to thing that this could revolutionize treatment of osteoarthritis in future. Maybe joint replacement therapy will become less common, or even obsolete.

You can read more about this very exciting news by reading the original stories here and here.

Sources: Yahoo! News Australia; Herald Sun;Wikimedia

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