Childhood consists of actively running and playing lots of outdoor games. Recently, various sports such as cricket, tennis, soccer, swimming, gymnastics, etc., have proven to be a rewarding career option. But unfortunately, a lot of people have to give up on their dreams to pursue a career in sports due to an early onset of joint pain caused by the wear and tear of muscles.

Osteoarthritis is the most common cause of joint pain and affects millions of people worldwide. People with this condition often suffer from joint pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. To further understand this condition, let us have a closer look at the anatomy of the knee and the pathophysiology of the disease.

A knee is a complex weight-bearing joint. It consists of 3 main parts – the end of your thigh bone (femur), the top of your shin bone (tibia), and your kneecap (patella). A connective tissue called cartilage covers the end of each of these three bones. The cartilage works as a cushion between two bones and is responsible for the joint's frictionless movement.

Fig.1. Healthy knee joint vs Osteoarthritis

In the case of Osteoarthritis, the cartilage begins to degenerate in a specific area between joints and gradually results in complete loss of cartilage. The loss of cartilage causes inflammation and severe pain, leading to an immediate replacement surgery (knee replacement surgery) to prevent it from worsening. Sports injuries are also a common cause of replacement surgeries.

Till now, replacement surgeries have been the most common treatment option. But the onset of stem cell therapy has revolutionized the healthcare industry. It is minimally invasive, quick, and free of any side effects or complications. In recent years, stem cell therapy has received great acceptance amongst medical practitioners around the world. It is widely considered a successful alternative to replacement surgeries, at least in the early stage of cartilage damage. So, osteoarthritis is not an end to your hobby, interest, or profession!

What is Stem Cell Therapy?
The process of using stem cells to treat, prevent or control the disease by stem cell transplantation is called stem cell therapy.  It is used in the treatment of various degenerative diseases such as Osteoarthritis, Avascular Necrosis, etc. Stem cells can grow into different cells and are present in umbilical cord blood, peripheral blood, or bone marrow.

(Image adopted from Spine Universe: https://www.spineuniverse.com/treatments/emerging/stem-cell-therapy-spine-care)
Fig.2. Stem Cells can differeniate into different types of cells

Stem cell therapy boosts the response of repair of dysfunctional, diseased, or injured tissues. After undergoing stem cell therapy, the patient can resume pain-free, routine life and get back to intense physical activities such as games & sports.

How Can Stem Cell Therapy Help in Cartilage Regeneration?
One of the successful and highly effective treatments for cartilage regeneration is stem cell therapy. The stem cell transplantation process involves quality-controlled steps that last for about 4-weeks.
Here is a brief overview of the steps involved in the process:

Step-1: Healthy cartilage tissue along with subchondral bones is extracted
Step-2: The tissue sample is transported to the cell processing center in a temperature-controlled way.
Step-3: Sample is isolated and cultured to attain million new cells
Step-4: The cultured cartilage tissue is transplanted into the patient.

This process is known as Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (ACI).

The implanted mixture of cell-gel takes the form of a defected area and settles into a firm jelly. Gradually, the new cartilage forms. Hence, the progression of cartilage damage stops, and a healthy hyaline cartilage cell regeneration occurs. Ultimately the joint is preserved, and mobility is restored. Physiotherapy can promote complete healing.

Stem Cell therapy offers several advantages, such as reduced hospital stay, durable treatment, no side effects or complications, minimally invasive and pain-free procedure.

Regrow offers targeted Cartilage Cell Therapy to treat such conditions through CARTIGROW® - a Cartilage Cell Therapy for a permanent cure of cartilage injury.

Cartilage Cell Therapy was primarily brought to India by Regrow Biosciences as CARTIGROW®.

About Cartilage Cell Therapy - CARTIGROW®

• Safe, effective, and Indian FDA approved.
• Successful in 90% of cases
• Over 600 people have been treated so far
• Available in over 40 cities and 350 hospitals, including Apollo, Fortis, Max-BLK, KDAH, etc.

Regrow Biosciences, Pioneer in India, & Leader in Asia is a leading biotechnology organization. It focuses on enhancing human healthcare by offering the most advanced and innovative regenerative medicine-based solutions, including CARTIGROW® cartilage cell therapy, OSSGROW® bone cell therapy, and UREGROW® epithelial cell therapy.