Stem Cell Treatment for Knee

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Royal1954
Royal1954 Posts: 64 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Considering doing stem cell therapy on my knee. Have arthritis for many years and it's gradually getting worse. Still bearable depending on my particular activity and I'm not nearly ready for a knee replacement although orthopedist says I just have to say the word. A lot of hype around stem cell treatment, and it's much more common these days. So, I've been evaluated as a good candidate for stem cell treatment and I'm ready to pull the trigger. I'd be interested in hearing from folks that have tried it and what your experience was and whether you thought it was successful.

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  • jaxCarrie
    jaxCarrie Posts: 214 Member
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    Hey......did you end up getting stem cells? I've started a PRP/Stem Cell/PRP regimen....and wanted your feedback. I'm 45, have had 2 ACL replacements in my 'bad' knee....which has left me, fairly young, with advanced osteoarthritis. I don't want a knee replacement (quite yet) and have a lot of people in my running community had success with PRP. I figure the Stem Cells are added goodness.
  • susiemcmac
    susiemcmac Posts: 356 Member
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    Not sure about your health insurance - but when I asked my ortho he said it most likely is not covered by my insurance in the U.S. I have severe arthritis in both knees - at a young age - too young for replacement. I get hyaluronic acid injections every 6 months - and I can’t say enough about how amazing they are. I can go up and down stairs without any pain and can do just about any exercise - with the exception of running.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited September 2018
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    Royal1954 wrote: »
    Considering doing stem cell therapy on my knee. Have arthritis for many years and it's gradually getting worse. Still bearable depending on my particular activity and I'm not nearly ready for a knee replacement although orthopedist says I just have to say the word. A lot of hype around stem cell treatment, and it's much more common these days. So, I've been evaluated as a good candidate for stem cell treatment and I'm ready to pull the trigger. I'd be interested in hearing from folks that have tried it and what your experience was and whether you thought it was successful.

    There's all different levels of it. My wife had rich platelet therapy on a damaged rotator cuff along with ozone gas and some vitamins/minerals injected. Helped her tremendously. Wasn't cheap by any means but not as expensive as true stem cell treatments.

    I was told 12 years ago I would qualify for a knee replacement. The doc that did my wife's shots (though he's a pretty controversial fellow) said that if he were me, with my current flexibility in that same knee, he would never do the replacement. He'd do injections like you're talking about instead. He looked at my knee and I just had asked him the question and he saw I had it bent pretty far while sitting down under my chair. I worked quite a few years on rehabbing that knee. That was a critical piece for him.

    I will say, I've seen HOF (hall of fame) sports guys from baseball, basketball and football all in his offices getting these types of shots -- guys that could afford anything they wanted. That alone, to me, means a lot.
  • elsie6hickman
    elsie6hickman Posts: 3,864 Member
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    I'm very interested in this. I have two bad knees, for which I have been getting injections every 3-6 months. Last time I went, the Dr. said that I wasn't really bad enough for me to have replacement. I have no idea if my insurance would pay for stem cell treatment or not. How long is that supposed to last?
  • PWRLFTR1
    PWRLFTR1 Posts: 324 Member
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    Following. I've been having recurring rotator cuff issues and one of those stem cell places just opened in my area. Do not want to have surgery.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    Had it done last year, I have an ankle that has severe arthritis. I was told the hope is to help delay the progress of the illness, not replace surgery, just delay it. I do see an improvement in pain, although whether it is a result only of the treatment or of physio, no one can tell.
  • Stew501
    Stew501 Posts: 65 Member
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    I had 2 injection last year; 1 when I pulled my groin & 2nd on my tennis elbow; has helped tremendously
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,984 Member
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    Any treatment classified as "experimental" by your insurance carrier (NOT any Fed or state regulatory agency, execpt Medicare which itself is a govermental program and also makes its own coverage,decisions) will NOT be covered by that carrier.

    Usually this decision is made by a panel of doctors and others affiliated w/the carrier, who make the decision based on peer reviewed research and changing practices w/in the specialty AND the anticipated costs and probability of success of such treatment.

    Took 10 years before a cancer treatment that I wanted was taken off the experimental list by my carrier. Fortunately, for me, that was just before I was diagnosed and required treatment. Have been cancer free w/o complications ever since.

    Hopefully, similar changes in the classification of stem cell therapieswill occur to allow insurance coverage of such treatments.

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