ROSEMONT, ILL, October 17, 2002 (LSN.ca) - Speaking at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Orthopaedics Update 2002 Web conference, Joseph Iannotti, MD chairman of the Cleveland Clinic Department of Orthopaedic Surgery said, “Adult stem cells have not only proven to be effective in bone healing today, they hold great promise for the future of orthopaedics - especially in the areas of reconstructing all types of tissues, as well as improving the healing of diseased tissues.”
Dr. Iannotti explained that adult - as opposed to embryonic - stem cell therapy has shown remarkable success. “For example, a young man whose leg had still not healed fully after a year of treatment showed vast improvement just 3 months after undergoing an adult stem cell therapy,” said Iannotti. In addition to bone fractures that do not heal, adult stem cells are currently being used to treat a variety of clinical conditions including large segmental defects, bone fractures or wounds that have severe scarring, infections, or avascular tissue with a poor blood supply, and the effects of irradiation and chemotherapy.
Recent data analysis shows that in more than 700 patients who underwent a stem cell harvesting procedure from the pelvis, there was no complaint of pain and only 2 bruises. This is of great benefit to the patient because it reduces the pain and complications associated with harvesting bone from other areas of the patient’s body. Other benefits of stem cell procedures include minimal scarring and decreased blood loss.
A release from the AAOS concludes: “Research on human adult stem cells suggests great potential for use in the development of tissue and cartilage regeneration especially in the area of transplantation. Isolating adult stem cells from a patient, directing their specialization and then transplanting them back into the patient would be extremely advantageous because it is unlikely that the cells would be rejected. Research is currently underway to achieving this goal. Once accomplished it will be a true scientific breakthrough that has the potential to revolutionize the practice of medicine.”
See the AAOS release at: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/10-16-2002/0001820619&EDATE=