's method for treating middle and late osteoarthritis has also made some new progress in recent years. Although some methods are still being explored and matured, I believe that in the near future, it can effectively delay the development of osteoarthritis and replace the effects of some drugs and surgery.
platelet-rich plasma (PRP) Injected with
The blood of the human body consists of plasma and blood cells. The blood cells include white blood cell , red blood cell and platelet . Among them, platelets are also called coagulation cell . It has the effect of stopping hemostatic and plays a role in growth and healing after body damage.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is to use the patient's own platelets, concentrate and inject it to promote the healing of damaged tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints. The highlight of PRP injection is that the body will not repel, the side effects are small, and the specific operation method is not complicated. First, draw a certain amount of patient's blood, concentrate platelets through centrifuge, and then inject these activated platelets into the patient's body tissues. The platelets will release growth factor , stimulating the body to produce a certain number of repair cells. This method is becoming more and more popular now. The advantage is safety, with less pain in patients, but the treatment effect varies from person to person. Some statistics believe that it is effective for 60%-70% of patients. A latest research report was published in the May 2022 Journal of Joint Replacement. It was found that PRP therapy reduces pain and improves patient function, but PRP did not improve much when evaluating knee-related structural changes.
autoserum therapy (ACS)
is similar to PRP therapy. The difference is that serum is isolated from whole blood, and centrifuges after incubation. The serum contains a series of anti-inflammatory cytokines and is injected into the patient's knee joints, which plays the role of inhibiting inflammation, pain and joint degeneration. It is more effective for degenerative osteoarthritis, and it can also stimulate tissue healing. In some cases, it is also effective for soft tissue damage .
mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy
mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) is a cell in the human body that has the ability to renew itself and has the ability to multidirectional differentiate. It can be obtained from tissues such as umbilical cord, endometrial polyps , menstrual blood, bone marrow, fat, etc. This therapy separates stem cells from the tissues and injects them into the painful knee joints, thereby stimulating the production of anti-inflammatory proteins and growth factors. In theory, stem cells can promote cartilage regeneration in joints, but according to the current clinical effect, this therapy is effective for early arthritis and chronic injuries, and can improve joint pain and function. However, if it has developed to the advanced stage, bone-to-bone and cartilage are severely lost, the effect will not be obvious, and deeper research and evidence are needed to ensure its efficacy.
autologous chondrocyte transplantation (ACI)
This technology uses the patient's own chondrocytes to be taken out of the patient and sent to the laboratory. After culture and reproduction, the number of cells is increased. After several weeks, it is implanted into the damaged area of the knee through special surgical techniques, thus forming new and healthy cartilage. This technology is mainly aimed at cartilage damage caused by sports injuries, car accidents, and falls. This is because the injured area is surrounded by healthy cartilage, and the injury has limitations. This treatment is not suitable if extensive cartilage damage (such as osteoarthritis) or rheumatoid arthritis has occurred.
In short, although many new therapies are designed to promote knee cartilage regeneration and thus solve the core problem of osteoarthritis, as of now, no treatment can provide sufficient evidence to ensure the regeneration effect, and are basically still being explored and matured. However, some treatments are likely to be effective than traditional sodium hyaluronate injections, which can better relieve pain and restore function, and have smaller side effects than injections of steroids.
Medical science popularization, for reference only.
Reference:
"The Future of Joint Repair", Arthritis Foundation, 2021.
"What are the New Progress in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis", WebMD, 2021.
"Autologous Chestnut Transplantation (ACI) Joint Cartilage Repair", Dr. David Parker, 2022.
