HealthWatch: Stem Cells Help Spinal Fusion
Reporting Dr. Holly Phillips
August 8, 2008
NEW YORK (CBS) ¯ Millions of Americans suffer from chronic back pain,
and for some a procedure called "spinal fusion" is the only hope.
Typically the surgery is painful, and comes with a long recovery –
but now there's a high-tech alternative.
Something as simple as vacuuming is too difficult for Leslie Mignona
because of chronic back pain.
"I'm not looking to be a gymnast, but I'm looking to be more active
in my life," Mignona said.
She decided on spinal fusion, which helps reduce nerve pain by
stabilizing the spine.
But instead of the traditional approach, she opted for a new
procedure using adult stem cells to fuse her spine together.
"I think it's extremely exciting," orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kam Momi
said.
Momi said stem cells offer an alternative to traditional spine
fusions, which are done using a patient's own bone.
"What we did was make a separate incision at the pelvis, scrape out
bone from the inside of the pelvis, and pack that into the spine
where we wanted it to go," Momi said.
With the new stem cell procedure, disc space is filled with a
material called "Trinity." Trinity is a mixture of donated adult stem
cells combined with crushed bone from a bone bank.
Once the material is in the spine, the cells go to work.
"They genetically turn on the switches to make bone cells, and
eventually the bones fuse together," Momi said.
Recovery time is fast, lasting only about three months, compared to
the year-long recovery associated with traditional fusions.
"Because you don't have to scrape out the bone and you don't have an
extra incision, the infection rate is a lot less," Momi
said. "Generally speaking, these patients get on their feet faster."
Dana Harned tried everything before she turned to the stem cell
fusion. Now, after surgery, she's relieved.
"I feel so much better," Harned said. "It's just…there's no way I
could have gone without it."
The Trinity stem cell product is approved by the Food and Drug
Administration.
The procedure has risks, just like traditional spinal fusion surgery.
Medications and physical therapy should always be considered first.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
http://wcbstv.
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StemCells subscribers may also be interested in these sites:
Children's Neurobiological Solutions
http://www.CNSfoundation.org/
Cord Blood Registry
http://www.CordBlood.com/at.cgi?a=150123
The CNS Healing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNS_Healing
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