10 Questions you need to ask an Orthopedic Stem Cell Expert/ Doctor

The therapeutic applications of stem cells in treating a variety of orthopedic conditions are relatively novel and exciting approach!

What are stem cells and are they useful is orthopedic stem cell therapy?

Undifferentiated cells that are able to differentiate into specialized cell types are Stem cells. Stem cells come from blood, bone marrow, umbilical cord blood and adipose tissue. Orthopedic Stem-cell therapy is the use of stem cells to treat an injury or prevent an orthopedic disease or condition. These can be acute or chronic injuries of muscle, tendon, ligaments, bone deformities, cartilage like arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or can be diseases like osteoporosis.

What are all orthopedic conditions cured using Stem Cells?

Various conditions and injuries can be treated using orthopedic stem cell therapy moreover; a lot of research investigations are being done worldwide to maximize the use of stem cells in orthopedic treatments. Some specific conditions that can be treated with stem cell therapy include:

• Mild to moderate osteoarthritis/degenerative arthritis of joints, especially the hip and knee
• Tendon injuries
• Back pain related to degenerative disc

What is the cell source?

Find out which stem cell source will be used for your orthopedic condition. For orthopedic procedures, the most promising results are being shown by adipose tissue-derived stem cells with the combination of PRP (Platelet-rich plasma). Mesenchymal stem cells are the main type of stem cells that can differentiate into the progenitor cells that make up bone, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments and various other tissues which can help in the therapy.

What is the exposure/experience of the orthopedic stem cell expert?

For improving the orthopedic conditions via stem cell treatment an expert practitioner's help needs to be sorted out. Therefore, an expert or doctor who is well versed in the techniques of handling stem cells and knows how to deal with stem cells in curing orthopedic conditions is a must. It is important that the doctor has gone through several cases before yours so as to minimize the chances of complications and to make smart choices when and where the need comes. The number of cases done by the doctor gives you an idea about his competency and expertise. 

What dosage of the stem cells to be given?

A measured dosage of the stem cells should be injected and delivered at the specific points of targets as different orthopedic conditions will require different dosage. This requires a sophisticated processing lab which most doctors do not have and this lab is a critical component to a successful orthopedic stem cell treatment.

What is the use of anesthetics and why?

Usually, local anesthetics are used during a stem cell procedure to numb the area but sometimes general anesthesia is also given while extracting the stem cells from bone marrow. But it is necessary to find out what anesthetic your doctor uses during orthopedic stem cell treatments. A number of anesthetics have been found to kill the stem cells thus; the treatment’s end result will greatly depend on the use of anesthetics. Some anesthetics very well sync with the stem cell and hence, aid in the treatment.

How good are the processing techniques in the onsite labs?

Stem cells are to be extracted and processed in a clean room, under aseptic conditions maintaining a controlled environment. The doctor should explain the entire process and the amount of viable stem cells infused into the patient during the process. Also, the precision of the injections to provide good quality of stem cells at the site of injury will help in better and faster recovery of the patient’s damaged area.

What is the cost of the treatment?

Based on the disease, severity, dosage of stem cells which would be used in the treatment the cost can vary. Since every medical procedure has its own success and failure rate. Knowing about the overall cost of the procedure and the linked adjuvant therapies is quite essential.

What is the medications checklist?

Various medicines can have an ill effect on the efficacy of the stem cells thereby, reducing the chances of being completely cured in specific orthopedic conditions. In most of the chronic joint pain related conditions, Anti-Inflammatory drugs or steroidal medicines are commonly prescribed which in long run can lead to other health-related complications.

It is mandatory to check with your orthopedic stem cell expert before taking any medications so that any negative effects can be avoided during the treatment.

When and why Follow-up visits are needed?

Once the treatment starts to show the result you must consult your orthopedic stem cell expert so as to report the improvement in the condition and discuss what all precautions need to be followed in order to achieve the maximum benefit. Post-treatment the patient is asked to visit the doctor after a specific period of time for providing the rehabilitation therapy with the help of physiotherapy and other adjutant techniques for better and faster recovery.

It has been widely reported that patients who have undergone stem cell therapy for orthopedic conditions in India got satisfying results and now they can be assured with hassle free, painless life ahead. It is believed by most scientists that stem cell research has great life-saving potential and will change the course of the treatment for many injuries and diseases. But still having such promising results, nobody can guarantee you 100% effective outcome in any circumstances and if anybody guarantees you for that please don’t fall for such claims as the therapy provider is not being honest with you.