Sechenov University has begun using a new technology
Doctors at Sechenov University, part of the Russian Ministry of Health, have become some of the first in the country to use a new methodology for transplanting patient cells to treat knee joint pathologies. This innovative biological development involves an organ-preserving and minimally traumatic operation, allowing defects in the knee joint cartilage to be replaced with the patient’s own cells. The university’s press service emphasized that this technique significantly differs from existing methods currently available to orthopedic surgeons.
The new technology is designed for patients aged 18 to 50 with isolated third-fourth degree cartilage damage according to the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) classification. Additionally, it can help young patients with osteochondritis dissecans.
The treatment process involves the first hospitalization with preoperative preparation, blood sampling, and knee arthroscopy to select bone-cartilage samples. The samples are cultivated in the laboratory, where they are multiplied, and biomedical cell products are created. After obtaining these products, the patient is invited for a second hospitalization, where the cell transplantation operation into the cartilage defect is performed.
Doctors hope that in the future, this technology can be used to treat joints in other parts of the body, such as the shoulders, hips, and ankles.
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