Cartilage injuries and Ligament damage, playing sports or living an active lifestyle, can be a painful situation (mentally and physically). Cartilage injuries can impact the knee joints, elbows, fingers, feet, and many other joints. Ligament and cartilage damage are generally the result of falls, blunt trauma or, most often, sports-related injuries, and they can also develop gradually through wear over time or with inflammatory joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Lupus disease can cause joint pain but rarely damages cartilage or ligaments. The cartilage injuries can lead to severe joint discomfort and swelling, and, if left untreated, turn extremely painful in the future.
Most cases of cartilage, ligament, or tendon damage cause pain and swelling that can be managed without surgery. Nevertheless, cartilage injuries may cause persistent pain and additional wear-and-tear damage to the knee, which could eventually lead to arthritis (osteoarthritis). Peripheral neuropathy is a nerve disorder with different causes, such as diabetes.
Professional athletes have preferred non-surgical remedies such as Orthokine, Regenokine, and our Cell TherapyΒ for Knee injuries, knee arthritis, and cartilage Injuries. Previously, therapies for these types of injuries were constrained by many factors. Today, stem cell cartilage regeneration uses isolated and expanded UC-MSC+ mesenchymal stem cells to treat and regenerate any damaged area in the body, particularly in joints of the knees and hands. This degenerative damage to the joints often happens when articular cartilage deteriorates.
Repair Tendons & Ligaments with Stem Cells
The Regeneration Center’s cellular protocols aim to reduce the symptoms and chronic effects of cartilage or ligament damage, using either the patient’s own (autologous) stem cells or donor umbilical cord-derived stem cells (UC-MSC+), sometimes combined with Platelet Rich Plasma. Our regenerative stem cell hospital offers a unique treatment for cartilage, ligament, tendon, and spinal injuries that significantly helps speed up tissue healing via a targeted and accelerated regeneration process that usually takes Mother Nature months, even years, to accomplish.
Orthopedic Surgery Alternatives
- Alternative to Surgery for Torn or Sprained Ankle Ligaments, Ankle Arthritis, or Ankle Cartilage Damage
- Alternative toΒ Hand Surgery for Injuries or Arthritis
- Alternative to Hip Surgery and Hip ArthritisΒ
- Alternative toΒ Rotator Cuff Surgery for Shoulder Injuries
- Alternative to Surgery for Meniscus Tear of the Knee
Approaches to Cartilage and Ligament Repair
Treating cartilage and ligament damage can involve several approaches that aim to support tissue repair and strengthening. Here are some methods that are used or being studied for cartilage and ligament damage. In regenerative medicine, stem cells that can divide and renew themselves are being studied as a way to support tissue repair, both after injuries and in changes linked to aging. Isolated and expanded stem cells, growth factors, and progenitor cells are transplanted into the area of injury using direct targeting.
Tissue Engineering
- Scaffold-Based Approaches: Biodegradable scaffolds provide a structural framework for new tissue growth. These scaffolds can be combined with UC-MSC stem cells or growth factors to enhance tissue regeneration.
- Hydrogels and Biomaterials: Developing injectable hydrogels or biomaterials that can deliver cells and growth factors to the damaged area, providing a conducive environment for tissue regeneration
Each approach has its indications, benefits, and limitations, and treatment choice depends on factors such as the extent of damage, patient age, overall health, and specific goals. Combining multiple therapies often yields the best results in reversing or managing cartilage and ligament damage.
Injured tissue releases signaling molecules that can attract stem cells, and injected mesenchymal stem cells in turn release factors (paracrine signaling), such as cytokines inside of the body, that may reduce inflammation and support repair. These cytokines help stem cells differentiate into the specific tissue types surrounding them. The process reaches optimal therapeutic impact three to six weeks after treatment.[1]
Stem Cell for Knee Cartilage
Stem cell injections are being studied as a non-surgical option for cartilage and tendon injuries, but they have not been shown to be safer or more effective than established treatments such as physical therapy, bracing or surgery. Some professional athletes have chosen these treatments, although evidence from clinical trials is still limited. The Regeneration Center offers expanded stem cell therapy for sports injuries in selected cases. Femoral nerve injuries and sarcopenia are separate conditions with their own assessment and treatment.
Stem cell treatment for Achilles tendon rupture
Achilles tears, tendonitis, and Achilles injuries can be debilitating and take a long time to heal fully. This extremely long recovery period can severely limit a person’s daily routine. Walking around with crutches in constant pain becomes normal for most patients. Additionally, the person risks causing re-rupture, resulting in detachment, which can result in a much more extended recovery period and permanent loss of athletic ability.
Using isolated mesenchymal stem cell therapy, the Regeneration Center Orthopedic+ protocols can help patients with these conditions return to active, healthy lifestyles. We offer clinical applications of the latest stem cell therapy protocols to help patients and weekend warriors recover from injuries, including acute Achilles tendon tears and chronic tendonitis. Our treatment protocols are customized to patient needs and deliver promising results after stem cell therapy for Achilles injuries, a wide range of soft-tissue injuries, bone regeneration, joint pain, and spinal stenosis.
Cartilage, Achilles Tendon & Supraspinatus Regeneration
β¨Number of Stem Cell Injections for Ligament and Cartilage Damage: 2-8 sessions of Isolated & expanded mesenchymal stem cells ( UC-MSC+) Infusions per stage
Types of Stem Cells and Cell Delivery Methods: For patients with moderate degeneration, multiple sessions of clinical grade expanded UC-MSC+ Mesenchymal Cells will be recommended along with our proprietary mix of tissue-specific growth factors that can include Platelet-Derived Growth Factors (PDGF), Connective Tissue Growth Factors (CTGF), Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-Ξ²), Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs), Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1), Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors (VEGF), Fibroblast Growth Factors (FGF), Epidermal Growth Factors (EGF), and Nerve Growth Factors (NGF). The length and scope of the regenerative therapy protocol will depend on the patient’s actual medical needs. Our autologous protocol requires 2-4 weeks of cell culture before cells can be used in therapy, whereas the allogeneic UC-MSC+ protocol does not require invasive surgery or additional wait times. Isolated cells and growth factors are delivered via intravenous drips, direct local injections, intradiscal or intrathecal injections, fluoroscopy-guided stem cell delivery (in a hospital setting only), or a combination of these methods to achieve optimalΒ results.
Rehabilitation Treatment for Cartilage, Ligament, and Tendon Damage:Β Physical Rehabilitation therapy atΒ Bangkok Hospital is optional but highly recommended, depending on your travel/time constraints. Complete physical rehabilitation is available upon request, with 2-4 hours per day, up to 6 days per week. β¨Medical visas and accommodations for an extended stay for the patient and family can also be included upon request.
Total Treatment Length: estimated around 10-14 days (depending on the severity of the patient’s injuries)
Cell sources and terminology
A guide to the source labels used in the laboratory illustration.
- Adipose tissue
ADSC
- Bone marrow
BM-MSC
- Peripheral blood
PB-MSC
- Placental tissue
P-MSC
- Umbilical cord
UC-MSC
- UC-MSC+
The Regeneration Centerβs terminology used in this article.
Benefits of Stem Cells for Tendon Repair & Cartilage Loss
Treatment for cartilage and ligament damage using enhanced mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSC+) will require approximately two weeks at our treatment facilities in Central Bangkok.
Due to varying degrees of underlying injuries, our orthopedic team must evaluate all potential patients before developing a detailed treatment plan that includes the required number of days and the total medical costs (excluding accommodations or flights). To begin the medical evaluation of our multi-stage treatment protocol, please prepare your recent records (MRI/CT Radiology Scans) and contact us today.
Published Clinical Citations
[1] ^ Ong, Edward, Mukai Chimutengwende-Gordon, and Wasim Khan. 2013. Stem cell therapy for knee ligament, articular cartilage, and meniscal injuries. Current stem cell research & therapy, no. 6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24016325
[2] ^ Pelaez, Daniel, Chun-Yuh Charles Huang, and Herman S Cheung. 2013. Isolation of pluripotent neural crest-derived stem cells from adult human tissues by connexin-43 enrichment. Stem cells and development, no. 21 (July 27). doi:10.1089/scd.2013.0090. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23750535
[3] ^ Sekiya, Ichiro, Miyoko Ojima, Shiro Suzuki, Mika Yamaga, Masafumi Horie, Hideyuki Koga, Kunikazu Tsuji, et al. 2011. Human mesenchymal stem cells in synovial fluid increase in the knee with degenerated cartilage and osteoarthritis. Journal of orthopaedic researchβ―: official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society, no. 6 (December 6). doi:10.1002/jor.22029. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22147634
