AAPS: FDA's Regulations Stymie Stem Cell Therapies for Orthopedics

Spinal Tech
Laura Dyrda -

The Food and Drug Administration has imposed regulations on using stem cell therapies for orthopedic applications despite studies that suggest these therapies are beneficial, according to a news release from the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons.

Surgeons remove the cells from the patient and process them to create a tissue culture. The cells are then injected back into the patient's knee joint to promote meniscal repair. Primary research shows that patients with osteoarthritis may be able to avoid a total knee replacement with stem cell therapy.

AAPS suggests that 500 deaths from surgical complications could be prevented each year if 10 percent of total knee replacements were averted. Development of these therapies has been stalled by the FDA's attempt to impose regulations on the treatment. Follow-up data on stem cell therapy shows no higher rate of complications than other injection-based treatments, which are exempt from the FDA's regulatory framework.

Read the release on regulation of stem cell therapies.

Related Articles on Stem Cells in Orthopedics:

Stem Cell Treatment Center Opens in Texas
Latest Trends in Spine Surgery Techniques: Laser and Stem Cell Technology

Louisiana Spine Surgeon to Present Study on Stem Cell Treatment



Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.