The stem cell injection is the newest biological option in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis and, precisely for that reason, the one surrounded by the most exaggerations. I meet patients who arrive with expectations built from headlines, and patients who dismiss the method without knowing what it actually involves.
This page says what the procedure does, what it does not do and who it suits — because a correct decision is made from data, not from enthusiasm. Everything written here is what I explain to you at the consultation, when we look together at your X-ray and at your history.
Where the cells come from
The cells are harvested from you, from your own fat tissue, through a mini-liposuction. The sample is processed in order to concentrate the fraction with regenerative potential, and the concentrate is injected into the joint, usually in the same session, under sterile conditions.
So we are talking about your own cells, not about a product foreign to your body.
What it does — and what it does not do
Unlike an injection that calms the pain, this method works on the biological process of tissue repair, not only on the symptom. That is the essential difference and the reason why it is discussed separately from the other options.
“Injections do not cure osteoarthritis and do not rebuild cartilage that is already lost.”
It is also not a guaranteed solution: the result differs from patient to patient, and research in this field is still ongoing. I prefer to say this openly, before the procedure, rather than to let you build an expectation that the method may not be able to meet.
“Injections do not replace rehabilitation: physiotherapy, muscle strengthening and the patient's weight remain important.”
The administration is a single injection, but it is part of a treatment plan followed over time — it is not an isolated gesture. What happens in the weeks and months afterwards weighs just as much as the injection itself.
Who it suits
It is an option in knee osteoarthritis at the stages where a replacement is not yet indicated, with generally better results in the less advanced stages. It is mainly discussed for the patient who wants to postpone or avoid joint replacement, as well as in localised cartilage lesions.
In the advanced stage, where the joint is completely damaged, the knee replacement remains the solution — and at that point an injection only postpones a decision that has to be taken anyway.
Who it does not suit
The procedure is not performed in patients with active cancer, with blood disorders, with autoimmune diseases and in pregnant women, nor when a good sample cannot be harvested.
As with any injection, it is not performed in the presence of an active infection or of a skin problem at the injection site, or in case of an allergy to the substance, and it is administered with caution in patients with unbalanced diabetes or on anticoagulant treatment.
These situations are checked at the consultation, before any scheduling.
Like any procedure, it carries risks — small but real: a transient inflammatory reaction of the knee, bruising at the harvest site, very rarely infection. We discuss them beforehand, together with the contraindications.
Where it sits next to hyaluronic acid and PRP
Each type of injection does something different, and the choice depends on the stage, on age, on the level of activity and on what has already been tried. There is no universal solution — which is why it is worth reading about the other types of injections: hyaluronic acid and PRP and about the full comparison between hyaluronic acid, PRP and cortisone, before deciding which option fits your situation.
What I have said publicly about this procedure
The subject was discussed in a Digi24 feature on the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, where I explained at length the place of injections within conservative treatment: “All these injections are good for the right patient — there is no universal solution.” Read the full feature on Digi24.ro. The feature noted that, in Craiova, the procedure is performed for the first time.