One of the most exciting developments in modern medicine. Stem cells are being applied in the treatment of many diseases under the name of regenerative medicine.
The most common application in orthopedics is knee osteoarthritis. Stem cells can be obtained from blood, bone marrow, and adipose (fat) tissue. I prefer adipose tissue in my clinical practice because harvesting from fat tissue is easier, less invasive, and more efficient.
It is appropriate to apply this treatment in early stages (grade 1 and 2) of knee osteoarthritis. The main goal is to stimulate the worn cartilage tissue to form new cartilage and prevent the need for future surgical treatments such as joint replacement.
Patients are discharged on the same evening or the next day after the procedure. Full recovery with return to active sports and pain-free living is expected around the 4th month.