Knee cartilage damage can initiate because of different factors like arthritis, injury or generic wear and tear that is related to aging. All these add on to the deterioration of the knee cartilage. It can affect walking and moving around, hindering the general well being. Over the last few years medical science and regenerative medicine has given two alternative treatment options to surgery. These are stem cell treatment for knee cartilage and Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy. They are acting towards healing and repairing tissues ultimately restoring the knee cartilage. This article will discuss whether PRP or stem cells for knee cartilage should be opted for. Both these options work in their distinctive ways. They have their pros and are surely an excellent option for those who want to avoid knee replacement surgery.
PRP for Knee Cartilage
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy involves taking out the patient’s own blood. It concentrates the platelets which are then injected into the knees. These platelets contain growth factors. They help in the healing and regeneration of the knee cartilage.
How PRP works
Platelet Activation
There are growth features in platelets therefore they can help repair the tissues, forming the collagen and hence regenerating the cells in the knees.
Injection
When the PRP solution is injected into the knee joint it activates the natural healing process of the body resulting in the restoration of the knee cartilage.
Benefits of PRP Therapy
Non invasive Procedure
As compared to surgery PRP is a minimally invasive procedure and does not require a hospital stay.
Pain Reduction
It has been observed in patients with early cartilage degeneration or knee osteoarthritis that PRP therapy reduces pain and inflammation.
Improved Function
Whereas there are several sessions required, PRP therapy improves knee function and therefore the quality of life.
Faster Recovery
Surgery normally requires a longer recovery time whereas PRP therapy needs comparatively less time to improve.
Limitations of PRP Therapy
Limited Cartilage Regeneration
The ability of PRP to regenerate the cartilage is quite limited. In case of severe cartilage damage or knee osteoarthritis PRP therapy is not effective. It has only shown improvements if the patients have early onset of the disease therefore if the illness progresses PRP is not considered to be a potent option.
Temporary Relief
The relief that PRP provides is temporary and for long lasting results repeated treatments have to be taken. Furthermore, in case of severe knee damage PRP does not have a long term impact.
Stem Cell Treatment for Knee Cartilage
Stem cell treatment for knee cartilage incorporates using stem cells to restore and heal the degenerated cartilage.
How Stem Cell Treatment Works
Harvesting Stem Cells
There are several different sources of collecting stem cells. It can be from a person’s own fat adipose tissue or bone marrow both these cells have high quantities of mesenchymal stem cells. These cells are harvested in order to perform stem cell therapy for repairing the knee cartilage
Injection into the knee
The collected stem cells are then injected into the knee joint. Stem cells have the miraculous ability to differentiate into various different types of cells. In the case of knees they differentiate into cartilage cells and begin to initiate the restoration of the damaged tissues offering a long-term cure to the disease in comparison to treatments like PRP.
Benefits of Stem Cell Therapy
Cartilage Regeneration
Stem cells have the power to transform, repair and heal the damaged tissues in the knees. Therefore the best treatment for knee cartilage issue is stem cell therapy as it can aid in providing distinguishable long lasting improvement in the curing knee harm and osteoarthritis. It is responsible for cartilage regeneration and hence increases mobility, joint function, the related issues promoting a pain and stress free lifestyle.
Addressing and solving the root cause
PRP only provides temporary reduction to symptoms whereas stem cells differentiate into cartilage cells dealing and curing the problem directly. Stem cell treatment regenerates the tissues in the knees straightforwardly attacking and addressing the root cause providing a long term solid solution whilst repairing and restoring knee joint function remarkably. Henceforth it has demonstrated to be the best treatment for knee cartilage issues for those who are suffering.
Less invasive treatment
In comparison to knee replacement surgery stem cell treatment is a much lesser invasive procedure. It has minimal recovery time and requires only one day stay at a hospital.
Limitations of Stem Cell Therapy
Accessibility
Stem cell treatment requires a high end facility and specialized treatment centers. In countries like Pakistan it is not a part of the mainstream health care therefore it is not accessible to the general public. Njinsky Medical Centre is the best stem cell clinic that offers stem cell treatment for knee cartilage Lahore Pakistan. With its exceptional team, Phd scientists, a biosafety level 2 lab built on WHO standards and a state of the art facility now stem cell treatment for knee cartilage are easily accessible for the masses.
Multiple sessions
Multiple sessions of stem cell treatment may be required to get the desired outcome. These sessions are performed over a period of time but they ensure regeneration and optimal results.
Longer recovery time
Stem cell treatment is a more complicated procedure but it is minimally invasive therefore it may require a comparatively longer recovery time than PRP.
PRP vs. Stem Cell Treatment for knee cartilage: A Comparison
Different sources where stem cells being more potent in regeneration
PRP involves concentrated platelets from a patient’s blood while stem cells incorporate stem cells. Both are injected into the knee joint and have different levels of providing relief and repair. Although it can be argued that PRP does contain growth factors and stem cells that aids in collagen formation and tissue repair but the amount of stem cells it contains is very less, they can be compared to a needle in a haystack or even less. As compared to PRP the stem cell treatment is rich having enormously high quantities of mesenchymal stem cells. Therefore the amount of tissue repair and regeneration stem cell treatment for knee cartilage can perform are tremendous and can provide a long lasting cure even to severe knee osteoarthritis.
Stem cell for moderate to severe knee osteoarthritis
PRP is shown to provide a quick relief only for early onset of the disease or knee damage. In the case of moderate or severe level of knee osteoarthritis or cartilage damage only stem cell therapy is the key treatment for relief and long lasting effect. Therefore for patients who are aiming at treating their knee osteoarthritis completely should opt for stem cell treatment for knee cartilage.
PRP only manages symptoms while stem cell regenerates
Stem cells have the magnificent ability to transform and revive the harm that is caused by the grave ailment such as osteoarthritis. They repair the tissues providing a cure to the disease on the other hand PRP therapy only manages the symptoms like alleviating the pain and reducing inflammation temporarily. It is evident by recent research and clinical applications that stem cell treatments are a more potent and effective solution to solve the problem of knee cartilage damage whilst addressing the root cause and underlying issue of cartilage loss.
Conclusion
In this article we have discussed PRP therapy and Stem Cell treatment for knee cartilage. The benefits, limitations and the key differences of both the therapies have been delved into in detail. It is evident that PRP therapy works in the case of early cartilage damage whereas stem cell treatment is required if a patient is aiming to treat moderate or severe level of knee osteoarthritis. Furthermore, it has been observed that PRP therapy only provides temporary relief by managing the symptoms on the contrary stem cell treatment addresses the root cause, regenerates and repairs the knee tissues providing a long lasting cure to the disease.
