How Safe Is Stem Cell Therapy For Orthopedic Treatments?

Posted on Thu, 16 Nov 2017

Question: How safe is stem cell therapy for orthopedic treatments such as knee injury, ligament strains, arthritis, etc.?
I guess in addition to safety, what is the effectiveness of these treatments? clinics claim success but I also see other uses of stem cell therapy that seems suspect.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Ivan Romich (45 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
safe but questionable effect

Detailed Answer:
Hi and welcome.

Regarding safety, stem cell therapy is safe and feasible and there are no significant risks for the patient which could be related to stem cells collection or application. Also, at the site of injection, it will not cause adverse effects. Some infections, joint swelling or pain has been reported as a side effect but this is rare.

On the other hand, effectiveness is still debatable and there are some scientific data about the benefit of this therapy especially when used to treat painful degenerative arthritis or cartilage defects.

But also, some other studies show no benefit, and there is no clear proof that it will lead to joint regeneration or improve healing, it may just relieve pain and discomfort and slow down the progression of the disease a bit.

So, for injuries, this is not as effective as for arthritis, autoimmune and degenerative disorders so these should not be routinely used in trauma. For arthritis, it is generally recommended when other methods are ineffective, but this should not be standard treatment.

Wish you good health.
Regards

Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee