London Bridge Regenerative Clinic

Innovative Regenerative Treatments for Knee Osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis is a debilitating condition that affects millions of individuals, significantly impacting their mobility and overall quality of life. It is characterized by the degeneration of cartilage in the knee joint, leading to pain, stiffness, and a gradual loss of function, which can severely limit daily activities and diminish life satisfaction.

Regenerative medicine offers hope in orthopaedics, particularly for conditions like knee osteoarthritis. This innovative field focuses on repairing, replacing, or regenerating human cells, tissues, or organs to restore or establish normal function. It includes treatments that use substances naturally produced by the body to help heal tissues and alleviate pain.

We cover the various regenerative treatments available at London Bridge Regenerative Clinic, which is at the forefront of managing knee osteoarthritis. We will explain the advanced therapies such as Cingal®, Arthrosamid®, nSTRIDE®, DUROLANE®, PRP Therapy, and BMAC, discussing their mechanisms, benefits, and how they are redefining expectations for long-term management of knee osteoarthritis.

 

Knee Osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis is a progressive wear-and-tear disease affecting the joint cartilage—the tough, slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones where they form a joint. As osteoarthritis progresses, cartilage breaks down, leading to pain, swelling, and problems moving the joint. Over time, it can cause joint stiffness and significant discomfort, ultimately impacting an individual’s ability to perform everyday tasks.

Typical symptoms associated with Knee OA include:

Pain:
It often worsens during or after movement.
Stiffness:
This is most noticeable upon waking up in the morning or after a period of inactivity.
Swelling:
Caused by soft tissue inflammation around the joint.
Decreased Mobility:
This may result in a decreased range of motion; sometimes, the knee may refuse to straighten completely.
Crepitus:
A grating or crackling sensation when moving the knee.

Traditional management of knee osteoarthritis includes a combination of pharmacological treatments, physical therapy, and, in severe cases, surgery:

Pharmacological Treatments:
Typically, it involves pain relievers like acetaminophen and NSAIDs, which can manage pain but often come with side effects, particularly with long-term use.
Physical Therapy:
It focuses on improving mobility and strengthening the muscles around the knee, which can help stabilise and protect the joint. However, it may not significantly slow the progression of the disease.
Surgical Options:
Total knee replacement is usually reserved for severe cases. Surgery carries risks of complications, long recovery times, and the potential need for revision surgeries as prosthetic joints wear over time.

Given the limitations of traditional treatments—such as their inability to halt disease progression and the side effects associated with pain medications, there is a growing need for innovative approaches to managing knee osteoarthritis. Regenerative medicine offers promising new treatments to repair and regenerate damaged joint tissue, potentially slowing or reversing the disease process. These approaches focus on symptom relief and underlying causes, offering hope for improved long-term joint health and functionality.

 

Regenerative Treatments

Regenerative medicine represents a transformative approach to health care, offering new and promising methods for treating conditions like knee osteoarthritis. This field of medicine works by harnessing the body’s healing abilities to repair damaged tissues and organs, potentially reversing disease progression and restoring function.

Regenerative treatments involve using biological materials, often sourced from the patient’s body, to promote healing in damaged tissues. In knee osteoarthritis, these treatments can stimulate cartilage regrowth, reduce inflammation, and decrease pain, addressing the root causes of symptoms rather than merely managing them. The potential benefits of these therapies include prolonged periods of symptom relief, delayed need for more invasive treatments like surgery, and improved joint mobility and quality of life.

  • Viscosupplementation:

This treatment involves injecting hyaluronic acid directly into the knee joint. Hyaluronic acid is a crucial component of joint fluid and cartilage, providing lubrication and shock absorption.

It helps restore the lubricating properties of the joint fluid, reducing pain and improving mobility. While it does not reverse the cartilage damage, it can significantly alleviate symptoms.

  • Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP):

PRP involves concentrating platelets from the patient’s blood and injecting them into the affected joint. Platelets are rich in growth factors that can promote tissue healing.

PRP can reduce inflammation and stimulate the growth of new cartilage, offering relief from pain and enhancing joint function.

  • Stem Cell Therapy:

This treatment uses stem cells, typically harvested from the patient’s bone marrow or fat tissue, which are then processed and injected into the osteoarthritic joint.

Stem cells have the potential to differentiate into cartilage cells and regenerate damaged areas of cartilage. This can lead to substantial improvements in joint function and pain relief.

  • Autologous Conditioned Serum (ACS):

ACS involves drawing blood from the patient, which is then processed to increase the concentration of anti-inflammatory and regenerative factors. The serum is then injected back into the joint.

The growth factors and cytokines in ACS can reduce inflammation and promote the healing of joint tissues, helping to alleviate symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Each of these regenerative approaches offers unique advantages and may be suitable for different osteoarthritis stages or patient needs. The choice of treatment often depends on factors such as the severity of the condition, the specific symptoms experienced by the patient, and their overall health and treatment goals.

 

Treatments at London Bridge Regenerative Clinic

  • Cingal®

Cingal® is a pioneering treatment for knee osteoarthritis that combines hyaluronic acid’s lubricating properties with a corticosteroid’s anti-inflammatory effects. This dual-action formula provides rapid pain relief and extended comfort, making it an excellent choice for patients seeking immediate improvement with sustained results. The injection is administered directly into the knee joint, which reduces inflammation quickly while enhancing joint lubrication for ongoing relief.

  • Arthrosamid®

Arthrosamid® represents a novel approach to treating knee osteoarthritis. It is a non-biodegradable hydrogel injected into the joint, acting as a cushion that supports the joint structure. This cushioning effect not only alleviates pain but also improves joint function, significantly improving mobility for patients. As a non-surgical treatment option, Arthrosamid® provides long-term pain relief and is an ideal choice for those looking to avoid or delay surgery.

  • nSTRIDE® APS

nSTRIDE® APS is an advanced regenerative treatment that utilises an autologous conditioned serum derived from the patient’s blood. This serum is specially processed to enhance its anti-inflammatory and anabolic properties, and it is then injected into the osteoarthritic knee. The treatment targets inflammatory proteins and enzymes that degrade cartilage, thereby reducing inflammation, protecting cartilage from further breakdown, and promoting a healthier joint environment. The goal is to alleviate pain and improve joint function by modifying the underlying disease processes.

  • Durolane®

DUROLANE® is a viscosupplementation therapy that involves a single injection of high-purity hyaluronic acid directly into the knee joint. Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance that lubricates and cushions the joint, making this treatment especially beneficial for patients with knee osteoarthritis. DUROLANE® provides long-lasting pain relief and improved mobility by restoring the natural joint fluid’s viscoelastic properties, thereby reducing friction and wear in the joint.

  • PRP Therapy

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) Therapy uses a concentration of platelets from the patient’s blood, rich in growth factors that stimulate tissue repair. These platelets are extracted, concentrated, and then re-injected into the knee joint, promoting the healing of injured tissues and reducing inflammation. PRP Therapy is becoming increasingly popular for its effectiveness in regenerating damaged cartilage and its minimal risk profile, given that the treatment involves the patient’s biological material.

  • BMAC

BMAC (Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate) involves harvesting stem cells from the patient’s bone marrow, concentrating them, and injecting them into the affected knee joint. These stem cells have the potential to differentiate into various types of cells, including cartilage, which can help repair damaged areas. BMAC not only aids in reducing joint pain and inflammation but also promotes cartilage regeneration, offering a potent alternative to more invasive procedures. This cutting-edge treatment is particularly promising for its ability to address both the symptoms and the underlying causes of knee osteoarthritis.

 

Comparing Regenerative Treatments

Each regenerative treatment offers unique benefits and limitations, and their applicability may vary based on the individual patient’s condition, lifestyle, and treatment goals.

  • Cingal®

Efficacy:
Cingal® is highly effective in providing rapid pain relief due to the corticosteroid component, while hyaluronic acid offers longer-term lubrication and comfort.

Duration of Relief:
Depending on individual response and activity levels, patients typically experience immediate pain relief, which can last several months.

Patient Suitability:
It is ideal for patients looking for quick relief from acute pain episodes and those who may not yet be candidates for more invasive surgeries.

  • Arthrosamid®

Efficacy:
Arthrosamid® provides sustained pain relief by acting as a cushion within the joint, though it does not reverse cartilage damage.

Duration of Relief:
The effects can be long-lasting, often maintaining joint function improvement over a year after injection.

Patient Suitability:
This treatment is suitable for patients seeking a non-surgical option that provides durable relief, particularly those with moderate osteoarthritis who have not responded well to first-line therapies like oral medications.

  • nSTRIDE®

Efficacy:
nSTRIDE® APS is designed to block inflammatory proteins and stimulate cartilage repair, offering symptomatic relief and potentially slowing disease progression.

Duration of Relief:
The benefits can last up to two years, depending on the degree of joint degradation.

Patient Suitability:
This treatment is best for patients with early to mid-stage osteoarthritis who want to delay more invasive treatments and are interested in novel, biologically based therapies.

  • DUROLANE®

Efficacy:
DUROLANE® effectively reduces pain and improves joint mobility by supplementing the joint’s natural fluid.

Duration of Relief:
Typically, it provides relief for six months to a year, making it a good option for long-term symptom management.

Patient Suitability:
Ideal for patients with varying degrees of osteoarthritis severity who prefer a less frequent injection schedule.

  • PRP

Efficacy:
PRP Therapy helps reduce inflammation and promote healing of joint tissues, though results can vary significantly between individuals.

Duration of Relief:
The effects can last anywhere from six months to a year, depending on individual healing responses and the specific preparation of PRP.

Patient Suitability:
It is suitable for patients interested in leveraging their body’s natural healing mechanisms, particularly those who have not achieved the desired results from conventional therapies.

  • BMAC

Efficacy:
BMAC uses stem cells that have the potential to regenerate damaged tissues, offering a significant reduction in pain and improvement in joint function.

Duration of Relief:
As a relatively new treatment, long-term data is still being gathered, but preliminary results suggest that benefits can be substantial and long-lasting.

Patient Suitability:
This treatment is best for patients with more advanced osteoarthritis seeking alternatives to total joint replacement and those interested in cutting-edge regenerative solutions.

 

The Future of Managing Knee Osteoarthritis

As we look to the future of managing knee osteoarthritis, the potential for further advancements in regenerative medicine offers hope for even more effective treatments. Continuous research and innovation in this field are set to redefine what is possible in alleviating pain, restoring function, and improving the quality of life for patients with this debilitating condition.

Ongoing Research and Future Advancements

Enhanced Regenerative Techniques:
Future research focuses on refining regenerative therapies, such as stem cell therapy and PRP, to increase their efficacy and reliability. Innovations may include targeting bioactive compounds to damaged joint areas or developing more potent formulations of existing treatments.

Combination Therapies:
There is growing interest in combining different regenerative treatments to leverage the benefits of each. For example, using PRP with hyaluronic acid injections or combining stem cell therapy with growth factor enhancers could enhance healing and results.

Gene Therapy:
Researchers are exploring the possibility of gene therapy to directly target the genetic factors contributing to cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritis. By altering or modulating specific genes involved in inflammatory processes, it might be possible to slow or even reverse joint degradation.

Customised Treatment Approaches:
Advances in personalised medicine may allow for more tailored treatments based on individual genetic profiles, lifestyle, and the specific characteristics of osteoarthritis. This could optimise treatment efficacy and outcomes for each patient.

Integrating Regenerative Treatments into Broader Management Plans

Holistic Treatment Approaches:
Effective management of knee osteoarthritis requires a holistic approach, including lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise and regenerative treatments. Integrating these therapies into a comprehensive treatment plan that addresses all aspects of a patient’s health is crucial.

Patient Education:
As new treatments become available, it becomes increasingly important to educate patients on their options, the risks and benefits of each treatment, and the expected outcomes. This empowers patients to make informed decisions about their health care.

Healthcare Collaboration:
Collaborative care involving a team of specialists, including rheumatologists, orthopaedic surgeons, physiotherapists, and primary care physicians, can ensure that regenerative treatments are appropriately integrated into the patient’s overall management plan.

The future of managing knee osteoarthritis looks promising, with ongoing research paving the way for innovative treatments that could significantly enhance the current standards of care. Integrating these advanced therapies into comprehensive treatment plans makes the goal of substantially improving patient outcomes increasingly attainable.

 

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