Wellness

[Havarti]

Has anyone had PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) or stem cell treatment for OA (osteoarthritis) of the knee?  If so, please share as much info as you are comfortable sharing - including pain, procedure, results, costs, if you would/wouldn't recommend, etc.  Please don't tell me to ask the doctor - I have info from there.  I am looking into these options and merely want honest feedback from people who have actually tried it.  TIA

[Havarti]

@Squeaks 

How did your PRP injection work for you?

[skatting44]

  I know someone who did have the autologus  stem cell   Rx on his knee  abt 10 + yrs ago . The ortho surgeon said he needed to total knee replacement  due to osteoarthritis . He was lucky   near his home  area was  a physician who worked  closely with the Cleveland clinic along with  other  major medical centers  regarding stem cell Rx.  He  went to this other physician for a 2nd opinion  who ordered an ultrasound and  he still had a small area of  cartilage . If he had been bone on bone  than he would Not have been a candidate for the stem cell . He elected to have the stem cell procedure rather than a total knee replacement as he  is an avid  snowboard/ski instructor .

 He had the autologus procedure -  his  bone marrow was extracted  from his hip bone & his  blood was drawn & mied with the stem cells  than was injected into his knee . He wore a special unloader  knee brace  & participated in physicial therapy  afterward . He did have some swelling after the procedure & at first it was a little rough but  his recovery time was a little less than  if he had a TKR.  The physician did take subsequent  ultrasounds post procedure which showed the  knee cartilage did grow back.   He resumed his  snow boarding & skiing activity  along with roller blading ,  He's beeen doing well ever since . He was going to have his other knee done but the physican developed a lethal cancer & died . He's seen info abt PRP but has not followed up on  this procedure as yet.  He is 73 now.

[Havarti]

@skatting44 

Thank you so much for responding with so much helpful information about your friend's experience.  Let him know that now it should be a little easier as they can get the stem cells from fat, too.  They take it from the belly area or glutes and I was told this offers the best cells (verses bone marrow) for older people.  Somehow our fat keeps producing lots of healthy stem cells, where our marrow starts to age a little over time.  They only need 1 or 2 oz. of fat that is taken through liposuction so it is an easier more pain free procedure.  So glad it worked out so well for him and that he is able to do the things that are important to him.

[Cal22]

@Havarti @skatting44 

Thank you so much for this information. A friend of mine is beginning the search for treatment beyond hyluronic injections for OA of knee.

There are trials in some parts of country but particpants don't know what they are getting-stem cells or placebo. Also the age limit is 70 at Stanford.

[Havarti]

@Cal22 

I live in a major metro area in the Midwest.  Here, the cost for PRP is $700 per treatment and stem cell is $3,000 for one joint & $4,500 for two joints.  For both, it should take just one injection and it seems to last for years when successful (and it seems to have a high success rate - but no guarantees).  It offers faster recovery than TKR, but is said to still be painful for the first couple of weeks.  

No age limits here (but it is not a trail).  Stem cell won't be done if you have had cancer within the past 5 years.  If you are past the 5 year mark and are cancer free, you can go ahead with stem cell.  Since they use your own cells, they want to be sure they are not spreading possible cancer in your body.  It is not covered by insurance or Medicare - all out of pocket.  Oddly, it may be covered by workman's comp if the injury occurred on the job and some auto accident injuries may be covered.  

[Mindy D]

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@Havarti wrote:

Has anyone had PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) or stem cell treatment for OA (osteoarthritis) of the knee?  If so, please share as much info as you are comfortable sharing - including pain, procedure, results, costs, if you would/wouldn't recommend, etc.  Please don't tell me to ask the doctor - I have info from there.  I am looking into these options and merely want honest feedback from people who have actually tried it.  TIA

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Please, before you try this, go to the FDA’s warning page about this. I just posted about this about a week ago. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/fda-warns-about-stem-cell-therapies

This article from the New York Times will arm you with more information. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/03/health/stem-cells-fda.html

You can also listen to a highly popular podcast produced by Wondery, a major producer of top podcasts. You can listen for free here. This is a podcast about the stem cell clinic industry and some unfortunate illnesses some of the patients had. https://wondery.com/shows/bad-batch/

[hckynut]

@Havarti 

My older sister's son and son-in-law are doctors, one a GP the other an Anaesthesiologist. She tried both of those procedure, thanks to her son bring able to work out ways to greatly reduce the costs, and getting a doctor that had done many of both.

She was scheduled to have a TKR the day after my wife, but she came up very sick and had to cancel her surgery. She is rescheduling it for early this spring. While she did get better results from the stem cell procedure, neither one kept her from needing the TKR.

Her son, the Anesthesiologist, owns several Pain Clinics. Two in our city/2 in other cities in our state/1 in California, and another in South Korea. There was nothing he could do to relieve her pain successfully, thus the TKR. It all started with her Osteoarthritis.

hckynut

[Havarti]

@Mindy D 

Thank you so much for sharing these links with me, I really appreciate it.  I have not read them yet, but plan to do so this afternoon.  I want all the information I can get, both sides of the coin, so to speak.  I want to make an informed decision and not just jump at things.  So far, I have rejected all of the previous options presented to me but am still open to learning about new possibilities...you just never know until you look into things.  

Thanks again!

[Havarti]

@hckynut 

Thank you for sharing the expereince of your sister.  I am so sorry it did not work for her, but am glad it brought her some relief until spring when she has her TKR.  None of us are looking for an expensive short-term fix if we will only need the total fix within months.  That is the kind of information and experience I need to know about and you only get that from the actual people who expereinced it.  

Thanks again for sharing this with me.