From shoulder pain to knee pain: this new technique for using stem cells to help patients cope with knee pain is garnering attention even before the results are in. The procedure is something of a hybrid, combining hyaluronic acid (HA) with concentrated stem cells to promote healing and “seed” the creation of new cartilage:

Patients who undergo the Abicus operation have the cartilage cut and tidied and undergo microfracture, but their cartilage tissue is then coated with a substance made up of bone marrow cells, platelet gel and hyaluronic acid.

During the 30-minute procedure, the bone marrow sample is spun in a centrifuge in the operating theatre to give a concentrated amount of the patient’s own stem cells.

These cells are then mixed with the gel and acid to create a “glue” substance which is placed over the cartilage defect and allowed to set.

If clinical trials show a clear benefit, it will represent yet another advance in our treatment of knee pain, and a new avenue forward for orthopedic knee surgeons who are always on the lookout for the latest innovations in patient care.

If you have chronic knee pain and want to avoid a more invasive knee replacement procedure, I urge you to contact my San Diego knee surgery offices today.