Knee pain is common, and there is interest from patients regarding the potential usage of 'biologic' or 'regenerative' injections to help restore or heal cartilage loss.
There is a lot of hype around biologic and 'stem cell injections.' No matter what you may have heard, no injection can regrow cartilage.
Usual treatments for knee pain includes medications, physical therapy, cortisone injections, and surgery. However, many people are looking for alternatives to these treatments.
Placenta derived products are a promising treatment for knee arthritis. The placenta is the organ that nourishes a baby during pregnancy. It contains a number of beneficial substances, including growth factors, stem cells, and proteins. These factors have a number of anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. They may also help repair damaged cartilage in the knee joint.
In a recent systematic review by Matteo et al, published in the journal Arthroscopy, their findings included an excellent safety profile with clinically meaningfully, significant improvements in patient reported pain outcomes after receiving a placental injection.
For example, one randomized study compared a placenta derived injection to a placebo injection, and found that patients demonstrated continue pain relief one year after a placenta injection.
There is evidence on cartilage preservation after placenta derived injections, with some studies showing improved cartilage on MRI, and another study (presented but not yet published) showing improvement in cartilage biopsies after injection from patient study subjects. Animal studies have shown an improvement in cartilage after exposure to placental tissue as well.
It is always our goal to have patients be educated and aware of the pros and cons of any treatment.
We hope this information is helpful, and that you have a great summer! If you have any further questions, or want to learn more about placenta derived injections and if they might help your joint pain, please do not hesitate to contact us.
