Can Stem Cell Therapy Save Your Knees? – Ski Mag

For near two decades, Tim Petrick skied withconstant pain in his right knee. As the formerPresident and CEO of K2 Sports and the currentCOO at Silverton Mountain in Colorado, heshad the fortune to ski some of the worlds mostmajestic mountains, and has probably madeseveral million, mostly satisfying, turns.

But in 2000, one of a skiers worst fearsstruck while Petrick was heli skiing in Alaska.I tumbled down a couloir following (the late)Doug Coombs in deep powder and blew myACL out, says Petrick. I also lost parts of mymedial and lateral meniscus from going endover end. After surgery to repair his ACL, hisknee deteriorated over the next decade and hewas prescribed an unloader knee brace, whichmitigated the pain just enough so he could ski.I wore that brace religiously because if I didntwear it, my knee would ache like crazy, he says.

Illustration by Thomas Pitilli

Petrick knew he was a classic candidate fortotal knee replacement surgery, but that seemedlike a daunting decision to him. After years ofbeing a hard-charging athlete, it also felt a bit like a defeat, a surrender ofsorts on the battlefield of your body.

His doctor, Mark D. Wagner, MD, of Seattle Sports & Regenerative Medicine,recommended an alternative to the invasive joint replacement surgery.Wagner, an avid skier himself, had recently begun performing a procedurecalled Stem Cell Therapy. The procedure uses the patients own stem cellsmixed with a sample of bone marrow and adipose tissue, which is spun ina centrifuge and injected into the damaged joint in what Wagner likens tospackle filling in the cracks. You can also think of the stem cells as seedsyou put on the bare spots on your lawn, says Wagner. Your platelets arethe fertilizer, promoting growth. The stem cells sense the environment,go into the joint, and lay down new cartilage.

The payback many skiers face after years of carving turns down icy slopesor the repetitive pounding from moguls is the breaking down of cartilagein their joints, particularly the knees. Cartilage is the tissue found on alljoint surfaces, but because its not supplied with blood vessels, it doesntself-repair. Stem cells are found throughout the body and have the potentialto become any type of cellincluding those found in cartilage. They canhelp the body regenerate tissue by implanting cells that stimulate healingand reduce the painful effects of osteoarthritis. Our results with Stem CellTherapy are impressive, says Wagner. About 85 percent of patients havesignificantly improved within one year.

Adult stem cell treatments have been used successfully for years totreat diseases such as leukemia and related blood and bone cancers. Unlikeembryonic stem cells, the use of adult stem cells does not carry the sameshadow of controversy because it doesntinvolve the fate of an embryo.

Stem Cell Therapy, however, has a negativeside. As a relatively new procedure in theU.S.doctors in Europe were performingthe procedure over a decade ago, first usingmammalian stem cellslong-term patientoutcomes havent been thoroughly studied.

It can also be cost-prohibitive. Currentlythere are no FDA-approved stemcell treatments for knee injuries or osteoarthritis,says Andrea Fischer, PressOfficer for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Since the FDA does not sanctionStem Cell Therapy, insurance companiesdo not offer coverage. Even though thetherapy involves about a 90-minute outpatientprocedure performed under localanesthesia, the out-of-pocket expense canrange between $5,000 and $12,000.

We're not doctors, but it looks like something's going on in Petrick's right knee.

Photo Courtesy of Tim Petrick

At this time, its unclear whether StemCell Therapy will eventually be consideredfor government approval, and thereforecoverage. According to the FDA, however,potential safety concerns include a reactionat the injection site, an unwanted immuneresponse to the cells, failure of thecells to function as anticipated, and eventhe development of tumors. Currently the FDA only approves stem cellproducts derived from cord blood thats used for treating blood disorders,and warns about potentially unsafe stem cell practices. Its imperative thatindividuals considering stem cell therapy be informed of the risks and consumersare encouraged to contact the FDA to learn more, Fischer says.

After weighing the pros and cons, the 63-year-old life-long skier optedfor Stem Cell Therapy in September 2016. I took a chance, Petrick says.Its an experimental procedure and insurance doesnt cover it, but Iddo it tomorrow versus thinking about having a replacement knee. Theprocedure did involve blood, bone marrow, and fat tissue withdrawal, butPetrick isnt squeamish about needles. As the doctor injected the cocktailof his own stem cells and platelet-rich plasma into Petricks knee, therewas discomfort from the pressure, but it went away in a few hours.

After a few weeks of limited activity, Petrickstarted riding his bike. After four monthswhich coincided with the start of last ski seasonthe knee that ached for nearly 16 yearsstarted to feel normal again.

Now one year after the procedure, Petricksknee is 85-90 percent better. He scopes out hislines differently now without dealing with a barkingjoint, and without the unloader knee brace, lessequipment to carry around. Ive skied nearly 90days this past winter and its all good, Petrick says.

Not everyone is a candidate for Stem CellTherapy. If the knee is bone-on-bone or theosteoarthritis is severe enough, the recommendationis mostly likely knee replacementsurgery. Artificial joints typically last only a fewdecadesnot the best solution for young skiers.Thanks to multiple studies in the U.S. and Europethat show promising results, the practiceof harvesting stem cells from the patients ownbody and using them for self-healing could becomecommonplace among sports enthusiasts.

I think Stem Cell Therapy is one of the mostexciting things Ive seen in sports medicine in the30-plus years Ive been practicing, says Wagner.And since skiing doesnt involve a lot of cuttingand pivoting on an individual leg, we have greatresults getting people back into the sport.

As for Petrick, hes feeling good enough to headback up to Alaska, which is all he could ask for.

Krista Crabtree lives in Nederland, Colorado, darn closeto Eldora resort, where she runs the women's program. This article was first printed in the 2018 Resort Guide.

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Can Stem Cell Therapy Save Your Knees? - Ski Mag