Free Republic

A single injection of a new, off-the-shelf stem cell therapy for knee osteoarthritis significantly improved pain and function for up to 12 months in 75% of participants involved in a clinical trial. The treatment also has the potential to halt the disease’s progression. In 2020, 7.6% of the global population had the painful degenerative condition osteoarthritis, an increase of 132.2% in total cases since 1990. It’s expected that by 2050, cases will have increased by 74.9% for knee, 48.6% for hand, and 78.6% for hip osteoarthritis. Current treatment includes pain relief, usually with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), exercise as tolerated,...

It’s the cycle of life. Lifelong bicyclers may live longer, have stronger immune systems and are less likely to experience knee pain or osteoarthritis, than people who don’t ride bikes. Although previous studies have already shown several benefits of cycling, new research now shows that people who cycle regularly have significantly less chance of developing osteoarthritis by the age of 65, according to NPR. The study, which was published last month in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, surveyed 2,600 people with an average age of 64 about their lifetime exercise habits. All of the participants were at an...

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...