Fed: Breakthrough in knee injury treatment

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Fed: Breakthrough in knee injury treatment

By Niamh Collier

MELBOURNE, Aug 13 AAP - Australian hospitals are set to offer pioneering relief tothe thousands of Australians crippled by knee injuries.

A new surgical procedure, based on repairing knee cartilage with the patient's owncells, has been shown to have the best recovery results worldwide, according to the headof Orthopaedic Research at Melbourne's Mercy Private Hospital, Ian Henderson.

Mr Henderson said the cell-implantation technology should soon be available in publicand private hospitals around the country as an alternative to traditional, less effectivetreatments.

Mr Henderson based his announcement on data collected from more than 40 patients morethan 12 months after their operations.

Eight-five per cent of those patients reported that their knees were normal or almostnormal after 12 months, with only 25 per cent still suffering some form of pain or difficulty.

The new procedure involves removing some of the patient's healthy cartilage cells,encouraging them to grow and multiply under special laboratory conditions, and then returningthem to the damaged area of the joint where they act like a putty, filling in and healingthe wound.

Not all forms of knee injury are eligible for the operation.

Conditions such as osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, which involve the wholejoint, are not suitable.

Mr Henderson said the success of the procedure was heavily dependent on patients' cooperation.

"This procedure does mean a lot of patient compliance - the patient has to be preparednot to load the area at all for six weeks. They can't go out on Saturday night and havea few drinks and throw away their crutches - they have to follow your protocol and theyhave to grade their activity.

"We've been fortunate with the patients that have put their hand up for this procedurebecause they understand that."

The scientific technology forming the basis of this new procedure has already beenadapted for use in ankle injuries, and is later expected to be used in shoulder, hip andelbow treatments.

AAP nc/gfr/was/sb

KEYWORD: KNEE