The Regenerative Clinic initiate 1.6 million pound clinical study in Karachi, Pakistan
The Regenerative Clinic are proud to announce that we have initiated the largest clinical study ever conducted using minimally invasive adipose derived stem cells. With commission and government backing, we have currently raised 400 thousand pounds. There are 80 patients currently recruited with 20 that have completed treatment.
It is estimated that 25% of those who are 50 years or over suffer from chronic knee pain in the UK. In Karachi approx. 20% (2 million) of the over 55 population suffer with knee pain. With an ever increasing proportion of people visiting their doctors with knee pain usually diagnosed with osteoarthritis.
Currently there is no treatment to stop or reverse the progression of knee arthritis. The available treatments focus on managing the pain and disability. Total knee replacement (TKR) is recommended for patients with moderate to severe pain who do not respond to non-surgical therapy. 15-20% are left worse off following a TKR and regret having the operation. 10-15% of those who have a TKR have dramatic improvement in their symptoms. 70% are improved but continue to have some problems. In the under 55 age group approx. 25% have a poor outcome.
If you have TKR before age of 55 you are then 5 times more likely to have a re-do or revision TKR compared to someone who has this operation when they are 75 years or older. We must find better ways of treating knee arthritis in the young. Studies have shown that one third of knee replacement candidates in the UK will not accept the surgery if offered to them and out of those on the waiting list for TKR, 25% ended up not having their joint replaced.
Knee replacement surgery hinders ones ability to kneel and sit cross legged, particularly frustrating for Muslim patients as this impedes their ability to pray comfortably.
An alternative approach would be to preserve a patient’s own joint. We have 2 methods of achieving this:
Activated Mesenchymal Pericyte Plasma injections (AMPP®). This innovative and minimally invasive procedure is a combination of Lipogems® and Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy. Alternatively, Joint Distraction (KJD).
AMPP® Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs)
These therapies have emerged as a potential alternative method of managing patients suffering with osteoarthritis. MSCs have been identified within adipose (fat) tissue and are in abundance in comparison to bone marrow cells. Micro-fragmented adipose tissue (MAT) is produced by mechanically fragmenting adipose tissue and then removing the blood and oils to leave a sample enriched in pericytes which are the precursors to stem cells without enzymatic digestion. This makes the process very simple and applicable in austere environments. The efficacy of this treatment has been proven in animals with many clinical studies demonstrating great outcomes in horses and other mammals. A number of studies using MAT for knee osteoarthritis have demonstrated clinical benefit for up to 3 years after a single injection. The real benefit of this method is that it is performed as a day case procedure with very minor possible complications.
Knee Joint Distraction (KJD)
The temporary mechanical unloading of the knee joint has been shown to cause the cartilage in the knee to regenerate. This is achieved by surgically placing an apparatus called an external fixator to the leg and pulling the joint apart by a few millimetres. The device is the removed after six weeks. A study performed to compare how well KJD works when compared to TKR found KJD to perform slightly better at 1 year. It also has been shown to restore the patient’s own cartilage. These improvement in the symptoms of arthritis last for up to 9 years in some with over 80% of the patients remained satisfied with sustained clinical benefit. The advantages are that is it much cheaper than TKR, lower risk, patient keeps their own joint and it delays the need for TKR thus reducing life time risk of revision surgery.
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