Stem cell therapy for joints launched in government hospital

The facility for stem cell therapy for cartilage defect, which is usually seen among youngsters between the ages 18 and 30, was inaugurated at the hospital’s Department of Arthroscopy and Sports Injury. 

“The defect, which is a hole about the size of a 25 paise coin, exposes the underlying bone. If you fail to treat it, it spreads and causes arthritis and an individual may, by the age of 40, require a knee replacement surgery,” said Dr Leonard Ponraj, head of the department. 

Stating that a stem cell therapy machine is used for the same, he said, “We take bone marrow from the pelvic bone and place it in the machine. It will spin for 15 minutes, and separate the stem cell. We then add fibrin glue, and it becomes like a paste, which we use to fill up the defect.” The Hospital had been performing the same, unofficially until recently, with the use of a machine that had been on loan. 

“Now, we have our own machine costing around Rs 10 lakh funded by the government,” added the doctor during the launch. The treatment costs around Rs 2.5 lakh and will soon fall under the Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme (CMHIS). A shoulder clinic was also launched on the same day. While there are many problems that can occur in a shoulder joint, a majority of the doctor’s community and the public have very minimal knowledge about the same. 

“All they know of is the problem of the frozen shoulder. We have been administering this shoulder service for the past three years, but it is being officially launched today to ensure that the underprivileged are aware of the availability of such a facility and thereby can benefit from this as the treatment costs around Rs 1.5 lakh in private hospitals. The treatment comes under the CMHIS,” said a doctor from the department.