Romanian Basketball Player Discusses Knee Stem Cells With Dr. Lox
A basketball player from Romania who injured her knee meniscus contacted Dennis M. Lox, MD, for possible knee stem cells.
She injured her knee playing basketball and it has failed to respond to conservative rest, physiotherapy, and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections.
The athlete is under time constraints as she has not improved in over a month and the playoffs are a month away. She has been advised to have knee surgery and take her chances with recovery. She has reservations with this approach as she knows if she doesn’t improve her chances of continuing playing professionally will be eliminated.
She could take the rest of the season off and have surgery. Her thinking after researching the subject was to have a stem cell treatment instead of the surgery. The rationale and pros and cons of this were discussed at great length.
Her problem of time before the end of the season and the start of the playoffs are unrealistic expectations. She had a significant hemarthrosis which was drained.
An MRI documented the meniscal tear. This indicates significant joint injury. The fact that she can barely walk 1-month post-injury suggests against a speedy recovery.
Athletes are often placed in imperfect situations. No one option is exceedingly better. The answer must lie with sound judgment. There needs to be time for proper healing regardless of the treatment rendered.
Stem cells through minimally invasive, still require time to exert a healing effect. Unrealistic expectations need to be addressed and proper counsel gave accordingly.
In this case, stem cell therapy for her knee may be appropriate if used in the right fashion and the right time to achieve a goal. When treatment is tailored to the specific needs of each patient an optimal result is more likely to be achieved.
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.
