Vietnamese Patient with Hip Arthritis Opts for Stem cells with Dr. Lox

A patient from Vietnam with degenerative osteoarthritis, or commonly known as “wear and tear” arthritis consults Dennis M. Lox M.D. for stem cell therapy of her hip.

She had tried prescription anti-inflammatory medications and cortisone injections to no avail. Her orthopedic surgeon recommended a hip replacement surgery.

She had a friend who developed a severe infection after a knee replacement and was reluctant to have hip replacement surgery. Another friend had stem cell therapy with Dr. Lox and was pleased with the results.

Hip Replacement Alternatives

She consulted with Dr. Lox in his Tampa Bay, Florida office. After hearing the basic science of stem cells and listening to her options, she decided to proceed with hip stem cell therapy with Dr. Lox.

She was surprised at how simple it was and admitted she was nervous beforehand. Dr. Lox notes that it is not uncommon that patients are nervous before stem cell therapy.

Fear of the unknown is frequently cited. It is always the same afterward patients comment on how simple the procedure was that it was not worth being nervous over.

Hip and knee arthritis is a very frequent complaint as women age. The number of hip and knee replacement surgeries in the United States alone is in the millions.

More and more patients are looking for alternatives to hip and knee replacement surgery. Stem cell therapy may be a viable option for some of these patients.

What Is Hip and Knee Arthritis?

Degenerative hip and knee arthritis may occur as we age, but it is not just simply a wear and tear disorder. It is frequently more complex.

Sometimes the pain is sudden, yet the x-rays may be significantly advanced. This can be viewed as silent degeneration of the joint. It may also be of slow onset with aches and pains over years or even decades.

Joint arthritis may also occur after trauma. Post-traumatic arthritis can occur even in patients in their twenties if trauma was presented earlier in life. Abnormal joint wear can occur with alignment derangements such as leg length discrepancy, knock knees or bowed legs.

The most prevalent cause of excessive wear is being overweight. The typical American gains 10 pounds per decade. 20-50 pounds of extra weight will cause considerable excessive load on the hips, knees, and ankles over time. 

Trauma accelerates arthritis of the joints as well as prior surgery. Patients may have a combination of many of these factors. Lastly, there is a genetic predisposition to the development of joint arthritis. Fortunately, the field of Regenerative Medicine and stem cell therapy is blossoming and future prospects of earlier treatment and new developments should be bright.

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