A Patient in Vermont Consults
Information obtained from: Dr. Lox | www.drlox.com. A patient from Vermont who was diagnosed with hip avascular necrosis (AVN) consulted with Dennis M. Lox, MD, for evaluation of stem cell therapy. Dr. Lox an expert in stem cell therapy and avascular necrosis (AVN), often is consulted for options in patients with avascular necrosis (AVN).
Stem cells may be an option for some patients with AVN as the prognosis is often grave, and recommendations for hip replacement surgery are often given. Avascular necrosis occurs when the blood supply to a portion of bone is disrupted which results in that area of bone dying or becoming necrotic.
Many potential factors may predispose a patient to the development of AVN. Trauma is the leading cause. Idiopathic or unknown causation is also a frequent factor. Hip AVN may be seen in one or both hips. At other times, another joint such as the knee may also be involved. Prompt treatment of AVN may allow better outcomes. The use of stem cell therapy in hip AVN is nothing new.
Microfracture or core decompression, is a surgical technique in which the bone is drilled and bone marrow is allowed to diffuse into the area of necrotic bone. The bone marrow fluid does contain stem cells, however it is mostly comprised of whole blood. This makes for a very dilute stem cell concentration into the region of drilled bone. In theory the targeted delivery of a more concentrated source of stem cells into the area may be more therapeutic. This has led many patients from far away states, and also other countries to consult with Dennis M. Lox, MD, for stem cell therapy. Younger and athletic patients are especially concerned with their outcomes, as hip joint replacements in this patient population is very undesirable.
What may be an alternative to considering hip surgery when all else fails? Regenerative medicine is a new and burgeoning field. Treatments that offered short term relief in the past such as medications for inflammation, chronic pain, loss and corticosteroid injections are being supplanted by strategies for treatment that look to repair and heal body tissues through a regenerative approach. Biological therapy aims to direct attention at the cellular level by harnessing tiny repair proteins that signal the body to restore hip joint pain in the exact opposite means that harmful proteins (cytokines) and molecules that disrupt and damage joints and musculoskeletal tissues. Research aimed at repairing joints without surgery and halting joint damage that leads to arthritis is the future for not only a preventative but a regenerative approach to medical
treatments for joint problems.
Dr. Lox has treated many patients with AVN and stem cell therapy. If AVN progresses the prognosis is much poorer, therefore prompt early diagnosis and treatment are recommended.
