Stem Cells May Well Present Fresh Hope for Arthritis Sufferers

Arthritis affects more than 40 million people within the United States alone. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. About half the individuals with arthritis have osteoarthritis. In this form the cartilage covering the ends of the bones erodes away through many years of use or an injury. Bone scrapes against bone producing pain that reduces the range of motion. This typically happens first in the knees, hips, hands and spine.

Approximately 2 million Americans put up with rheumatoid arthritis. It is characterized by swelling of the lining of the joints. Loss of cartilage often leads to bone loss and deformation. While the ultimate cause isn't yet fully understood, the immediate cause is an autoimmune disease that attacks cells around the joints. Pain, inflammation and redness are normal symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

The kind of cartilage of concern in arthritis is named articular cartilage. It is a skinny white covering over the ends of the bones that helps them glide over one another smoothly and without pain. As this articular cartilage is worn away, the bones rub or grate against one another producing pain. Anyone suffering in this way finds it hard to move their limbs with the full range of motion and suffers a reduced lifestyle.

This articular cartilage does not have the capability of repairing itself or regenerating new cartilage. There are no blood vessels within the cartilage to provide any regeneration or repair functionality. The cartilage of the adult is supposed to last a lifetime. There is no possibility of healing without outside intervention.

There are several doctor recommended actions you should take to help prolong the life of your cartilage. Since many joints are weight bearing, decreasing the stress on these joints by slimming down is of prime importance. You should also reduce stress on cartilage by avoiding lengthy running and jumping or other high impact behaviors. Engage in moderate exercises like bicycling and walking which are not excessively stressful on joints. Proper nutrients and vitamins for joints help ensure proper lubrication is available to help joints work smoothly.

For many years the only methods to repair or regenerate cartilage involved surgery. One arthroscopic surgical procedure entails shaving cartilage from one or more areas and depositing these shreds where new cartilage is wanted. Abrading and scraping the bone where cartilage was worn away is another method. Holes are picked into the bone causing blood and bone marrow fill the defect and ultimately mature into a scar that will become a hybrid cartilage.

One of the newest approaches uses stem cells to regenerate cartilage. These are the building blocks for many different types of tissue. Introducing stem cells in locations where new cartilage is required is currently being done commercially with animals like horses and dogs.

Stem cells for animals are extracted from their very own fat cells. This is currently being done by Vet-Stem in California. A veterinarian extracts some fat from an animal, usually a horse or a dog, and sends the fat to Vet-Stem. The stem cells are extracted from the fat and returned to the vet. They are then introduced into the joint where new cartilage is required. After several months enough cartilage has been formed to allow the animal to display a remarkable recovery.

Human trials are now being carried out at a number of universities. It could be just a few years before such an arthritis solution becomes commercially available for our aging population. This is a new hope for restoring cartilage and eliminating arthritis joint pain.