S. Robert Rozbruch, MD, a physician with the Hospital for Special Surgery, is performing a relatively new procedure where he injects stem cells into a patient's ankle to heal cartilage damage, according to a hospital news release.
Instead of performing a fusion to relieve pain in patients with a lack of cartilage between the subtalar joint in the ankle, Dr. Rozbruch implants a fixator for three months that pulls apart the joint. After three months, he injects stem cells into the newly created four-millimeter space where cartilage will regenerate.
The cartilage is expected to regenerate for years after the procedure. However, the patient is still able to have a fusion after receiving the stem cell injection.
Read the HHS release on using stem cells for ankle injuries.
Read other coverage on stem cells in orthopedics:
- Texas Spine Surgeon Performs Stem Cell Transplantation for Disc Degeneration
- OrthoPathways Group Announces Device for Biologic Orthopedic Surgery
- First Embryonic Stem Cell Treatment in a Human Used to Treat Spinal Cord Injury
Instead of performing a fusion to relieve pain in patients with a lack of cartilage between the subtalar joint in the ankle, Dr. Rozbruch implants a fixator for three months that pulls apart the joint. After three months, he injects stem cells into the newly created four-millimeter space where cartilage will regenerate.
The cartilage is expected to regenerate for years after the procedure. However, the patient is still able to have a fusion after receiving the stem cell injection.
Read the HHS release on using stem cells for ankle injuries.
Read other coverage on stem cells in orthopedics:
- Texas Spine Surgeon Performs Stem Cell Transplantation for Disc Degeneration
- OrthoPathways Group Announces Device for Biologic Orthopedic Surgery
- First Embryonic Stem Cell Treatment in a Human Used to Treat Spinal Cord Injury