Portuguese Researcher Congratulates
A Portuguese stem cell researcher congratulated Dr. Lox on his stem cell therapy work in aiding patients afflicted with avascular necrosis (AVN). Dennis M. Lox, M.D., has treated patients from many different countries who have been diagnosed with avascular necrosis (AVN). Dr. Lox often is consulted on a complex array of patients with AVN. Often these patients are offered little treatment options except joint replacement surgery or fusion. Patients with AVN are often seeking alternative treatment options to surgical recommendations. This is especially true in younger patients and athletes with AVN.
Avascular necrosis (AVN) is defined by a necrotic region of bone, that results when blood flow has been disrupted. The necrotic region (necrosis) is actually a region of the dead bone. Much like necrosis seen in the brain tissue from a stroke, or the heart after a heart attack, avascular necrosis of the bone may occur in virtually any area. However, the head of the femur (the hip) is the most common site of AVN. Trauma is the leading cause of AVN. Often the cause of AVN is unknown or referred to as idiopathic. Many other processes can be associated with the development of AVN. Excessive use of corticosteroids (cortisone) is another leading cause of the development of AVN.
The use of Regenerative Medicine such as stem cell therapy may offer a viable treatment option for some patients with AVN. Regenerative Medicine applications, including stem cell therapy, may be used to treat some AVN cases instead of adopting the wait and see an approach that favors the progressive joint destruction of joint collapse associated with AVN.
The hip and knee are commonly replaced joints, yet in the setting of a younger patient or athlete, it may be a sports ending situation. Other less commonly successful or complicated joints with AVN, such as the ankle, or wrist patients are often told they need a joint fusion. This further complicates their future with problems concerning future adjoining joints undergoing degeneration, age-related problems, and inability to return to the sport of choice. All these concerns may be addressed by a stem cell expert experienced in the treatment of avascular necrosis (AVN), such as Dennis M. Lox, MD,.
By understanding the individual complexities of each patient, Dr. Lox may approach each patient as a unique individual.
If you’re in pain or had an injury and are looking for an alternative to surgery, contact us immediately at one of our locations. Our Main Medical Center located in Tampa Bay, Florida (727) 462-5582 or at Beverly Hills, California (310) 975-7033.
