Knee Osteoarthritis Saga
Stem Cells and Knee Replacement
Here’s the jump off page for my experience with Osteoarthritis of the Knees. You can find a more prosaic history HERE and some general knee information and my specific cartilage measurements are here.
- 1999: Knee ‘pops’ during my black belt test
- 2001: Gave up on TaeKwonDo and started pick-up soccer
- 2003: Had to abandon soccer as braces and over-the-counter analgesics weren’t cutting it.
- 2006: Visit to Orthopedist diagnosed OA Correctly informed of the ‘eventual’ progression my OA.
- Current replacement hardware was expected to last up to 15 years – I was 47 and didn’t like the implication.
- Began seeing a rheumatologist for pain management.
- Investigating other options beside knee replacement – started to see articles on platelet rich plasma and stem cells for soft tissue treatment.
- 2008: Read article about Stem Cell procedures on race horses in Australia
- 2009: Found doctors offering stem cell procedures – chose one in Maryland. 2009 Left Knee
- 2013: Right knee is becoming painful. 2013 – Both Knees
- 2014: Since there was no relief from the 2013 procedure, I returned to Maryland. Right Knee Stem Cell Procedure
- 2015: Returned to Arthritis Treatment Center in Frederick-MD for an assessment.
- Based on my response to the 2014 procedure and the remaining cartilage, my knees had deteriorated to a point that additional stem cell treatment would be ineffective.
- Began researching knee replacement
- Found a company offering customized knee hardware and a minimally invasive operating technique.
- 2016: both knees replaced with iTotal CR from Conformis at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital by Dr. Wolfgang Fitz.
- 2017: Follow-up appointment showed good integration of implant and bone.
Questions, comments – interested in sharing your experience? Contact me: bruce at brucelerner dot com