Injecting one's own fat into
painful joints could be a radical new treatment for osteoarthritis, according
to a new claim by surgeons.
In the
trial carried out at the King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Saudi Arabia,
the jabs, which provide lubrication inside the joint to improve function and
reduce the pain and stiffness, are being given to 100 patients with moderate to
severe knee osteoarthritis.
The small
amount of donor fat is taken from the patient's own body, selected according to
their own wishes and fat availability, with the entire procedure performed as
daycare surgery under local anaesthetic and sedation.
During the
surgery, the fat is obtained and prepared, then injected into the joint cavity
of the osteoarthritic knee.
Patients
are discharged soon afterwards with antibiotics and painkillers, then followed
up to see if joint function has improved and whether there is a reduction in
pain and stiffness.
Lead
researcher said that like a car gearbox, joints work best when they have good
levels of lubrication, and it is normally provided by synovial, a thick
gel-like material. In osteoarthritis sufferers, one element of this fluid, hyaluronic
acid, does not work properly. Some research suggests improving lubrication with
injections of hyaluronic acid.
The
researchers believe that a simple injection of fat will improve chronic
osteoarthritis and they are using the self-lubricating effect of patients' own
fat to improve function and reduce pain.
The trial results will be reported in the British Medical
Journal in December.
Source: ANI
This is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Accordingly, it is difficult to figure out when to end it. But then, this is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Period.
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon