Ichun Taek Hospital in Suwon Introduces Autologous Bone Marrow Stem Cell Injection Therapy for Early to Mid-Stage Knee Osteoarthritis

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] Jangsan Medical Foundation's Ichun Taek Hospital announced on the 28th that it has recently introduced autologous bone marrow stem cell injection therapy.

Autologous bone marrow stem cell injection therapy is a treatment approved for safety and efficacy through the Ministry of Health and Welfare's new medical technology certification and can be applied to patients with early to mid-stage knee osteoarthritis corresponding to Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grades 2-3.

Stem cells are cells that make up many tissues in our body, helping to regenerate damaged or injured cells and possess the ability to self-proliferate infinitely.

These are cells that supply new cells in place of dead cells caused by external impact or aging.

The procedure involves extracting bone marrow from the patient's iliac crest of the pelvis, isolating only stem cells within the bone marrow through a centrifuge, and injecting them into the knee joint cavity.

From bone marrow extraction to stem cell injection into the knee joint cavity takes approximately 2-30 minutes, making it a relatively simple procedure. Since the patient's own bone marrow is used, there is minimal risk of immune rejection.

After treatment, patients can expect not only temporary effects but also pain relief, cartilage regeneration, and improved joint function.

Additionally, there is minimal pain after treatment and normal daily activities are possible with a short hospitalization period, which are also major advantages.

Lee Su-hyun, head of the clinical team at Ichun Taek Hospital, stated, "Once cartilage is damaged, regeneration is impossible. Many patients have already progressed to end-stage arthritis with no options other than artificial joint replacement surgery," and added, "Therefore, finding appropriate treatment at each stage is of utmost importance. Before progression to end-stage disease, autologous bone marrow stem cell injection therapy can be considered as a treatment to aid cartilage regeneration and manage pain and arthritis at the early to mid-stage of the disease."