Rehabilitation following regenerative medicine treatment for knee osteoarthritis-current concept review

Abstract

The purpose of this manuscript is to provide a current concept review for the rehabilitative management of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) following regenerative medicine intervention. A proposed comprehensive regenerative rehabilitative program has been created, based on a literature review of the current best practices of rehabilitative methods and non-operative management in KOA patients with an emphasis on the goals of regenerative medicine: to optimize self-healing and functional tissue recovery. Regenerative medicine promotes regeneration and joint restoration by using blood-based procedures such as platelet rich plasma, stem cell and cell-based or tissue engineering. Regenerative medicine procedures are variable and lack of standardization in product preparation, administration, and different treatment protocols. The lack of standardization imposes challenges in regenerative rehabilitation. Over the last decade, there is growing evidence in regenerative medicine and its uses in non-operative management of various pathologies. Advances in regenerative medicine technologies brings radical innovations to establish new and effective rehabilitation protocols promoting restoration of function through tissue regeneration and repair optimizing the standard of care, specifically in rehabilitation when combined with regenerative protocols for patients with KOA is the most common degenerative disease in the knee and can affect any synovial joint in the body. It is a leading cause of disability affecting the quality of lives of millions of people world-wide. Conventional methods of mild to moderate KOA are focused on short-term symptomatic relief and do not promote joint homeostasis or regeneration of injured tissue. Regenerative medicine emphasizes a paradigm shift in patient-centered care promoting regeneration and joint restoration by using blood-based procedures such as platelet rich plasma, stem cell and cell-based or tissue engineering. The purpose of this current concept review is to outline a comprehensive post-regenerative rehabilitative program in the management of KOA based on the best available evidence. Our proposed regenerative rehabilitation program is intended to align the goals of regenerative medicine with the current, high-level evidence of non-operative management for KOA, to optimize self-healing and functional tissue recovery.