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Stem Cells Used To Help Those With Knee Pain
CBS Corporation ^ | 04.26.06 | Dennis Douda

Posted on 04/27/2006 9:37:29 PM PDT by Coleus

Some Twin Cities doctors are using stem cells to give relief to people who suffer from chronic pain in their knees. More than one million Americans will have a knee procedure this year to ease chronic pain, but any complications can have a painful cost.

One week after minimally invasive surgery, Andrew Gantman's knee is looking good and nearly pain-free. But his orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Joel Boyd said Andrew has a 90 percent chance of developing arthritis in that knee at some point. "You may have patients who go onto arthritis within two to three years versus patients who go onto arthritis in 20 years," Boyd said. Gantman had the most common knee surgery in America, removing part of his meniscus.

Boyd decided to take a gamble when he volunteered to test an experimental stem cell therapy at TRIA Orthopaedic Center in Minneapolis. "I'm really excited and hope I'm one of the fortunate ones that gets the goods and not the placebo," Gantman said. The stem cells came from living adult bone marrow donor. When injected into the damaged knee, it's hoped they'll regenerate his meniscus, and grow new tissue.

"While these stem cells are trained to grow knee tissue, another version's being tested for repairing heart valves. And it's also thought it might be used to grow tendon, ligament and muscle tissue," said Ryan Graver, TRIA Research Director. "This is an opportunity to intervene in that cascade of injury early on to reduce the number of patients who develop osteoarthritis and potentially require that total knee replacement," he said. Early test results are so promising, another much larger national test is being planned for later this year.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Technical; US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: adultstemcells; arthoscopy; arthritis; bonemarrow; kneepain; kneereplacement; kneesurgery; stemcells; surgery

1 posted on 04/27/2006 9:37:30 PM PDT by Coleus
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To: 2ndMostConservativeBrdMember; afraidfortherepublic; Alas; al_c; american colleen; annalex; ...


2 posted on 04/27/2006 9:37:54 PM PDT by Coleus (I Support Research using the Ethical, Effective and Moral use of stem cells: non-embryonic)
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To: Coleus

Perhaps I've waited just long enough for somehing besides a knee replacement! I wonder, could my own stem cells be used for this procedure? I have one good knee joint with healthy meniscus ...


3 posted on 04/27/2006 9:52:31 PM PDT by MHGinTN (If you can read this, you've had life support from someone. Promote life support for others.)
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To: Coleus

Yes, but what type of stem cells? The article doesn't say and is one of many lately touting "stem cells" when they are not fetal. IIRC the no fetal or "adult" stem cells are the ones working all the cures at the moment.


4 posted on 04/27/2006 10:28:56 PM PDT by icwhatudo (The rino borg...is resistance futile?)
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To: icwhatudo

Read the article you idiot! Its right here: "The stem cells came from living adult bone marrow donor"


5 posted on 04/27/2006 10:30:03 PM PDT by icwhatudo (The rino borg...is resistance futile?)
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To: icwhatudo

No need to be rude...


6 posted on 04/27/2006 10:30:34 PM PDT by icwhatudo (The rino borg...is resistance futile?)
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To: icwhatudo

Sorry, its just that people that don't read the complete article cause me to get mad and talk to myself.


7 posted on 04/27/2006 10:31:44 PM PDT by icwhatudo (The rino borg...is resistance futile?)
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To: All

Now they've REALLY got my attention.


8 posted on 04/27/2006 11:06:44 PM PDT by Sun (Hillary had a D-/F rating on immigration; now she wants to build a wall????)
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To: All

I always wonder if most insurance companies cover Adult stem cell treatments.


9 posted on 04/27/2006 11:08:08 PM PDT by Sun (Hillary had a D-/F rating on immigration; now she wants to build a wall????)
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To: Coleus
The stem cells came from living adult bone marrow donor.

My question is, were the adult stem cells harvested from the recipient or not? The story doesn't address the issue of rejection in transplants.

10 posted on 04/27/2006 11:50:11 PM PDT by neverdem (May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows that you're dead.)
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To: Sun

At this time,Blue Cross of NC does not.


11 posted on 04/28/2006 3:44:43 AM PDT by babydoll22 (If you stop growing as a person you live in your own private hell.)
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To: Coleus
The stem cells came from living adult bone marrow donor.

Nice. And nobody had to die. :)

12 posted on 04/28/2006 3:46:54 AM PDT by ovrtaxt (My donation to the GOP went here instead: http://www.minutemanhq.com/hq/index.php)
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To: icwhatudo

lol

roses are red
violets are blue
i'm a schizophrenic
and i am too


13 posted on 04/28/2006 3:48:11 AM PDT by ovrtaxt (My donation to the GOP went here instead: http://www.minutemanhq.com/hq/index.php)
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To: Sun

Probably not if it's considered experimental.


14 posted on 04/28/2006 3:49:48 AM PDT by stopem (To allow a bunch of third world country nationals to divide Americans is unconscionable!)
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To: Coleus

Paging Mr.Keith Foulke, Keith Foulke you have a call from a Dr. Thomas J. Gill on line one.


15 posted on 04/28/2006 3:53:16 AM PDT by #1CTYankee (That's right, I have no proof. So what of it??)
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To: MHGinTN
I had knee surgery 45 years ago, and just now starting to have a lot of pain, but only when I have shopped until I dropped. It is always good to know that if it gets a lot worse there is something that can be done.
16 posted on 04/28/2006 4:01:30 AM PDT by Coldwater Creek ("Over there, over there, We won't be back 'til it's over Over there.")
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To: pepperdog

I wonder if this procedure would help your friend?????


17 posted on 04/28/2006 4:02:44 AM PDT by Coldwater Creek ("Over there, over there, We won't be back 'til it's over Over there.")
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To: nnn0jeh

ping


18 posted on 04/28/2006 4:06:23 AM PDT by kalee
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To: babydoll22

"Blue Cross of NC does not."

Thank you. I have Blue Cross in NYS, so they probably don't have it, either.


19 posted on 04/28/2006 6:20:13 PM PDT by Sun (Hillary had a D-/F rating on immigration; now she wants to build a wall????)
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