Football Player With Knee Arthritis Opts For Stem Cell Therapy With Dr. Lox
Playing football has its share of injuries. Unfortunately, Father Time has a way of reminding you years later. Especially, with knee injuries. Trauma accelerates arthritis. Often players with knee meniscal tears undergo surgery and surgery is another form of trauma. This again accelerates the arthritis process. 10-15 years later, arthritis may signal it’s presence with pain. However, it has been ongoing albeit silently for years.
The degenerative cascade may occur right after the initial trauma, however it’s just slow to be recognized until its often advanced. Animal studies have shown this to be the case. Human studies are limited due to early invasiveness such as biopsy or arthroscopy, whereas laboratory animals with induced trauma are sacrificed. The process starts at the cellular level and continues as a downward progression unless this degenerative cascade is halted. Arthritis medications do not stop this progression. It is in the realm of Regenerative Medicine that hope has emerged. Biologic therapies for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) have been around for years.
The most common ones inhibit a cytokine (TNF-a) involved in the development of joint degradation in RA. Stem Cell Therapy is a much more complex orchestrated symphony of cytokine messaging than merely influencing one cytokine as Biologic therapy does. It has been shown in animal studies and human clinical trials that stem cells can regenerate knee cartilage. This is not 100%, and there are many factors involved. However, by reverting the degenerative cascade and if cartilage is regrown then Father Time can be delayed. This is significant in athletes who wish to extend their playing careers, or as in this case a Football player now affected with degenerative knee arthritis from injuries sustained years ago.
