Knee Stem Cell Injection - Treatment for Autologous Osteoarthritis

Adipose-derived stem cells are stem cells (mesenchymal stem cells) derived from adipose tissue, which makes up the largest portion of our body.

While conventional treatments are primarily aimed at relieving pain or suppressing inflammation, autologous adipose stem cell therapy is a treatment that essentially regenerates damaged cartilage.

In addition to improving symptoms, it can slow down degenerative arthritis, and because it uses autologous adipose tissue, the risk of complications is low and long-term results can be expected after just one treatment.

Bone marrow stem cells have the disadvantage that mesenchymal stem cells are more difficult to obtain than adipose stem cells, so in recent years, knee osteoarthritis stem cell therapy has moved from "autologous bone marrow" to "autologous adipose".

Recently, adipose-derived stem cell therapy was also approved by the government's 'New Medical Technologies', allowing the procedure to be safely performed in patients with arthritis stages 2 to 3, or knee cartilage damage of 50% or greater.

However, insurers may not be able to pay for new medical technology treatments that have been approved by the government.Hospitalized for at least 6 hours', the conflict between patients and insurers is escalating.

The Korean Society of Anesthesiology and Pain stated that "hospitalization for at least 6 hours or more than 1 day is required" for sleep anesthesia to collect adipose tissue in adipose-derived stem cell procedures. In addition, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service has been paying the hospitalization fee since adipose stem cell treatment was recognized as a new medical technology, so it is recognized as "appropriate" for hospitalization. This is expected to put to rest the controversy about 'unnecessary hospitalization' as it has been recognized by an authoritative government agency.