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Stem Cell Therapy for the Hip

The human body is composed of billions of specialized cells, which form specific structures like the skin, muscles, brain, ligaments, tendons, joints, and bone. Every day, these cells go through a degenerative process as well as a regenerative process. When older cells die, new ones are born from the body’s stem cells. With the unique ability to create many types of other cells, stem cells are the key to regenerative medicine. Stem cell therapy is now being used to treat many hip conditions, such as bursitis, osteonecrosis, tendon tears, ligament injuries, and arthritis.

When tissues are injured, the degenerative process will exceed the regenerative process, which results in structures that become painful, less functional, and weaker. The stem cells that are best for promoting musculoskeletal healing are called mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which are found in the body’s bone marrow. MSCs are essential for successful patient outcomes in the treatment of many hip conditions.

Patient Benefits of Stem Cell Therapy for Hip Conditions

Many hip injuries, diseases, and conditions are treated with stem cell therapy. While not an inclusive list, some of the hip-related problems treated with stem cell therapy include:

  • Labral tear
  • Labrum tear
  • Tendinopathy
  • Arthritis
  • Bursitis
  • Osteonecrosis

Non-surgical stem cell injection procedures are done in the doctor’s office, and this offers a viable alternative for people who are facing hip replacement or hip surgery. Patients are able to return to normal activity following the stem cell injection procedure, and they avoid a lengthy, painful rehabilitation period that follows hip surgery. Stem cell therapy will restore strength, range of motion, and mobility to the hip, and people avoid the potential serious complications associated with hip surgery, such as blood clots and infection.

Stem Cell Therapy Procedure

The human body has a constant supply of stem cells available to help with the repair of degenerated or injured tissues. As stem cells remain in reserve (in the body’s bone marrow), the easiest place to obtain and harvest the cells from is the iliac bone (back of hip). The procedure is done in the physician’s office using x-ray precision guidance. The steps include:

  • The patient is positioned face down and the doctor cleans the area using an antiseptic.
  • The skin and deeper tissues are numbed using an anesthetic.
  • A special needle is then inserted into the iliac crest bone to withdraw marrow (liquid solution), which contains the MSCs.
  • After the bone marrow solution is obtained, it is taken to a laboratory and centrifuged to concentrate and purify the stem cells. The cells that are not needed are removed, and a concentrated sample of stem cells is used for the injection.
  • A concentrated sample of your platelets are also obtained for the injection, as these cells release growth factors that stimulate the stem cells.
  • The platelets are injected 3-5 days later to keep the stem cells activated and to ensure healing.

 

Patient Outcomes with Stem Cell Therapy

In a recent study, patients with hip conditions were evaluated following stem cell therapy. In the study, 627 patients had stem cell therapy for hip conditions. The average improvement score after 24 months was 53%, with most patients reporting more than 50% pain relief after the procedure.

A large outcome study was conducted with 200 patients with hip arthritis. The researchers investigated the safety and efficacy of autologous bone marrow concentrate for the treatment of these patients. Treatment was evaluated using the Oxford Hip Score analysis, numeric pain scale scores, and subjective patient report of improvement. The researchers found that stem cell injections improved patient outcomes with no complications. In addition, patients younger than 55 years of age had the most improvement based on the hip and pain scores.

Resources

Centeno CJ, Pitts JA, Al-Sayegh H, & Freeman MD (2016). Efficacy and Safety of Bone Marrow Concentrate for Osteoarthritis of the Hip; Treatment Registry Results for 196 Patients. Journal of Stem Cell Research & Therapy.