“We have been doing that, for example, in the osteoarthritic knee,” said James R. Andrews, MD, a founding partner and medical director for the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, in Gulf Breeze, Fla. “We believe that this treatment controls swelling and inflammation as well as eases pain in osteoarthritic knees.” Results of a pilot study, which included 31 NFL players who had early arthritic wear patterns in their knees, showed that at 10 months post-injection, all patients were satisfied, according to Anz.
“We have been going after the indication of early OA and for that indication, we have found it effective for symptoms and keeping people active,” he said.
Their next study, a randomized trial that will include pre-intervention scores, is currently underway.
“The problem is finding the athletic population that will go into a double-blind study,” Andrews said. “These NFL players already know about stem cells, and they come asking for it. They will not go into the study. Filling the numbers from the research standpoint has not been easy.”