Non Surgical Treatments

Blog: Stem cells for knee arthritis – snake oil, quackery or fraud?

I often get asked by patients considering knee replacement surgery if stem cells are any good for knee arthritis. My view is that they are snake oil, quackery and possibly fraud.

Clark Stanley was known in the wild west as the ‘The Rattlesnake King’ travelling the country with an elaborate show including rattlesnakes. He spruiked the benefits of his snake oil as a cure all for many conditions including ‘rheumatism’ an old term for painful joints. He eventually came unstuck when his snake oil was tested by the US government and found to not contain any snake oil. Since then the term ‘snake oil’ has come to mean any false cure.

Non-Surgical Knee Treatments

The knee is a complex joint which consists of bone, cartilage, ligaments and tendons that make joint movements easy and at the same time more susceptible to various kinds of injuries.

Pharmacological

The knee is a complex joint which consists of bone, cartilage, ligaments and tendons that make joint movements easy and at the same time more susceptible to various kinds of injuries.

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Injection

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a newer modality of treatment for the management of many orthopaedic conditions including sport injuries. RBC (red blood cells), WBC (white blood cells), plasma, and platelets are the major components of blood.

Viscosupplementation Injection

Viscosupplementation refers to the injection of a hyaluronan preparation into the joint. Hyaluronan is a natural substance present in the joint fluid that assists in lubrication.

Cortisone Injection

Cortisone is a corticosteroid released by the adrenal gland in response to stress and is a potent anti-inflammatory agent. Artificial preparations containing cortisone are injected directly into the affected joint to relieve pain and reduce inflammation.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy or physical therapy is an exercise program that helps you to improve movement, relieve pain, encourage blood flow for faster healing, and restore your physical function and fitness level.