Cartilage regrowth proven in clinical trial

Documenting the effects of rejuvenating medicine is crucial in the development of these treatments. Operating a system and patient pathway where pain reduction, mobility and individual symptom improvements are categorically recorded is very important.

One of the most compelling pieces of research to date comes from Sacre Cuore hospital in Calabria in 2017 where two separate studies took place with clear and striking evidence. In this study doctor’s were about to confirm cartilage regrowth through an intra-articular injection of fat.

The Regenerative Clinic welcomes peer reviewed publication of new data revealing striking evidence of human tissue regrowth through the new non-surgical method of intra-articular fat injection (Lipogems®). In two studies the efficacy of both cartilage regrowth and pain reduction has been documented.

The first study* was carried out on 17 patients (and 32 knees) with an average age of 69 with osteoarthritis classified as grade 3-4 (arthritis is graded 1 – 4 with 4 representing the most advanced cases with little remaining cartilage and often bone-on-bone symptoms). Following the treatment patients were tested at 3, 6 and 12 months using a number of indicators including MRI scans and measurement of synovial fluid. In almost all cases there was an improvement seen, with more than half, 53.57% of joints recorded seeing an increase in cartilage regrowth of +15% or more.

The images of the following patient recorded an increase of 83% in cartilage after 12 months.

Professor Adrian Wilson of The Regenerative Clinic is a leading global expert in orthopaedic surgery, and the foremost pioneer of Lipogems® in the UK. He says; “This is a significant moment in charting the results of this treatment. I have seen the remarkable potential of this therapy first hand but it is crucial that we are able to quantify its success. These results are extremely encouraging and offer people experiencing pain and trauma in their joints a safe and effective alternative to traditional surgery. There is an explosion of clinical studies in this field and it is very exciting to be at the forefront of this new technology in the UK.”

The treatment induces host chondrocytes to make rejuvenating structural and biochemical changes in the cartilage. It was also noted that it was not just the thickness but rather the quality of the regrown cartilage which was remarkable. Significant pain reduction was also noted across all patients after 3, 6 and 12 months.

A separate study** conducted by Arcangelo Russo at the Sacre Cuore hospital in Calabria, Italy proves the effectiveness of reducing pain. The study is peer reviewed and has just been published in the Journal of Experimental Orthopaedics.

87% of patients recorded a significant reduction in pain after 12 months (based on the VAS pain scale and Tegner Lysholm Knee). In a sample of 30 patients with a median age of 43 there were no major complications recorded. Russo found the treatment to be; “a sustainable, quick, one-step, minimally invasive, and with very low percentage of complications.”

Sources:

*The Effect of Intra-articular injection of Autologous Micro-fragmented Fat Tissue on Proteoglycan Synthesis in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis by Damian Hudetz

Published October 2017 http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/8/10/270

**Autologous and micro-fragmented adipose tissue for the treatment of diffuse degenerative knee osteoarthritis by A. Russo, V. Condello, V. Madonna, M. Guerriero and C. Zorzi 


Published: October 2017 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28975547