Humans elicit a unique bipedal locomotion, common only to our species.  This upright walking posture puts a load of stress on our lower limbs.  Every step you take your hips, knees, ankles are taking the impact of every move. Your hip joint is the primary source for absorbing this mechanical stress.

Mile after mile, year after year, our hips slowly break down.  However, no one wants to get a hip replacement or surgery for early signs of osteoarthritis, bone spurs, or other problems associated with the hip. Stem cells give a patient a new way to stop their knees from degenerating without the need for surgery.

Most patients put off the conventional hip replacement or surgeries because they feel this method are far too aggressive for the state they are in.  Patients feel that they are not at the stage for this type of treatment but are seeking new and innovative ways to correct their hip.

Alternatively, many doctors recommend Chondroitin and Glucosamine supplements, both essential building blocks that aid in repair of the hips tissues.  However, these methods are slow and often do not correct the problem.

After listening to out patients we searched for a way to help combat these signs of degeneration.  We continuously sought to find a treatment less invasive than surgery but more aggressive then biological supplements that can be purchased at your neighborhood Target. Finally we found the solution, Stem cells!

The re-application of your own Mesenchymal Stem Cells allows the medical world a new tool to combat hip degeneration.  Once stem cells are harvested, isolated, and concentrated they can be administered to the hip.  In place these cells able to correct the damaged tissue by excreting signals to rebuild. Also the stem cells are able to create new cells to replace cells that have perished over the years.

A patient suffering from early signs of arthritis, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis is the best candidate for the procedure.  Signs include stiffness, aches and pain, limited mobility, tenderness in the hip region.  If the signs are seen early on a patient has a greater chance of defeating the degenerative disease.

Stem cells give a patient a new way to help prevent and reverse severe damage occurring to our hips.  This minimally invasive procedure allows a patient to rebuild their joints back to its physiologically normal state.  It is a major accomplishment to be able to concentrate our bodies own healing mechanism and repair our tissues.

Finally stem cells give our patient a dramatic and promising alternative to hip surgery and replacements.  All patients considering these conventional surgeries should take a moment and consider stem cells as an alternative. However, make sure you speak in depth with your physician about this procedure. Often, x-rays of the joint are needed to fully asses the outcome of the stem cell procedure. Signs of moderate to mild arthritis, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis have very high success rates with alternative cellular procedures.

Copyright © 2012 Alex Martin MD & Devin Stone, Los Angeles

 Refrences:

1. 1. De, Burgh Jane. “Osteoarthritis.” “Osteoporosis.””120 Diseases: The Essential Guide to More than 120 Medical Conditions, Syndromes and Diseases. London: Amber, 2007. Print.

1. 1. “Hip Resurfacing.” Mayo Clinic Health Letter 27 (Feb. 2009): 4-5. Print.

1. 1. Silverthorn, Dee Unglaub. Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach. 4th ed. San Francisco: Pearson/Benjamin Cummings, 2004. Print.