Knee Pain

The Knee is the largest joint in the body.  It is not exactly a true hinge type of joint as it can pivot, twist and slide outside of flexing.  Because of these motions, it makes the knee susceptible to multiple injuries.

The meniscus is a rubbery piece of cartilage between the thighbone and shinbone of the knee. This tissue normally acts as a shock absorber of the knee. A tear can occur acutely, such as in a sports injury or fall, or the tissue can break down and become frayed with normal aging. A torn meniscus can cause pain, stiffness, swelling, clicking and even locking of the knee. Small tears will likely improve with time and conservative treatment. Large tears may require surgical intervention.

In some case studies, treatment of meniscus tears with stem cells has been shown to regenerate tissue and improve the volume of the menisci on MRI evaluation. Some patients have had significant improvement in pain after stem cell procedures.

Osteoarthritis is essentially breakdown of the cartilage of your joints over time. This can occur through normal wear and tear of the joint as we age, but can be accelerated by other causes. It’s likely that we all will get some form of osteoarthritis of the joints as we get older. The severity of the arthritis will determine how much intervention may be required to ease your pain and keep you comfortable.

Factors such as obesity, injuries, surgeries and genetics can all increase the speed at which the joint breaks down. As a simple analogy, think of your cartilage like the tread on a tire. Over many miles the tread wears down based on the load placed on the wheels, the alignment of the vehicle, daily impact and the type of use. Once that tread wears down too much, it’s time to get a new tire. The cartilage on our knee joints is very much the same. As the cartilage is broken down, eventually the bone and nerve endings are exposed and can cause the knee to be painful. 

The first line of treatment with osteoarthritis is to manage the pain starting with over the counter or prescription medications. Physical therapy can be helpful to strengthen the weakened joint and improve range of motion and strength. Many patients find short-term relief with cortisone shots for pain and/or gel injections that lubricate and increase the shock absorption of the joint. 

If a patient finds that these conservative measures are no longer helpful, surgical intervention such as a joint replacement may seem like your only option. However, advancements in regenerative therapies are providing a new hope for many patients struggling with arthritis pain and can delay or possibly even prevent the need for a joint replacement. These newer treatments use biologic elements such as your own adult stem cells and platelets to ease the pain and in many cases, regenerate the cartilage that was lost. 

As a form of regenerative medicine, our stem cell procedures activate your body’s own stem cells to encourage healing and speed repair for knee injuries.  Knee arthritis is the most common condition treated in our office.  With this treatment, we concentrate a sample of your stem cells taken from a sample of your bone marrow and fat tissue. This concentrated sample is then injected into the joint using ultrasound guidance to ensure targeted delivery of the cells.  These stem cells act as the body’s “repairmen” and enable us to heal our injuries. In the case of arthritis, your body’s ability to heal may have diminished leaving you with a painful joint. When stem cells are concentrated and injected into a joint with arthritis, your body is able to stimulate a new healing response that will ease the pain and may also stimulate the growth of new cartilage in that area. 

Because the knee is a complicated joint, a knee replacement isn't always a perfect solution ensure a painless joint.  Unfortunately, some patients can be left with a painful knee or can have complications as a result of the surgery. Because of these reasons trying these more conservative biologic options first gives patients an opportunity to delay or completely avoid major surgery. Call or click below to schedule an appointment to discuss your treatment options with Dr. Bullock, and determine if a stem cell treatment is appropriate for you.