Arthritic Knee Patient Makes Great Strides after Stem Cell Therapy

Cologne, Germany (PRWEB) November 18, 2009

MRI results confirm the improvement of 49 year-old Vassilis Ferentouros, a Greek knee patient who underwent autologous stem cell therapy at the XCell-Center in Cologne, Germany.

In 1998 Mr. Ferentouros, who suffers from arthritis, edema and osteonecrosis of his left knee, noticed the first signs that something was wrong. According to Mr. Ferentouros, "The first problem in my left knee appeared in 1998 with a knee-locking syndrome. An arthroscopy showed that my femur's condyle cartilage was damaged, so the treating physician proceeded with debridement and some Pridie drilling. I was fine and free of pain for the next 5 years and I was able to maintain my pre-treatment activity levels."

In 2003 severe knee pain returned. An MRI showed further deterioration of the cartilage. Another arthroscopy with debridement and some Pridie drilling was performed. In February 2004, Mr. Ferentouros underwent an autologous chondrocyte Implantation; a very complicated and delicate surgery which lasted about 10 hours. Following the latter treatment, he completed a 1-year rehabilitation program.

"My knee started to hurt severely again in 2008. An MRI confirmed an edema and an osteonecrosis of the femoral condyle. I was told that an artificial knee might be my only option, but a relative of mine who is a research professor advised me to wait a little for further progress of new autologous adult stem cell therapies that seemed very promising to him. At that point, I began to investigate this subject and came in contact with the XCell-Center in Cologne," said Mr. Ferentouros.

The XCell-Center knee treatment begins by collecting a small amount bone marrow from the patient's hip bone using a thin needle under local anesthesia. The stem cells are then separated from the bone marrow at the XCell-Center's EU certified cGMP laboratory. Before the cells leave the lab, they are counted and their vitality is confirmed. The last step of the treatment is the minimally invasive implantation procedure, which consists of injecting the stem cells into the affected joint.

"My post-treatment MRI showed a distinct decrease of the subchondral edema. Prior to my stem cell treatment I was neither able to walk nor drive a car without pain medication. I immediately stopped taking the pain medication after therapy and my pain diminished. I was able to run 50 meters a few weeks ago, which is tremendous progress for me," remarked Mr. Ferentouros.

Interested persons may view Mr. Ferentouros' MRI results here: http://www.xcell-center.com/patient-stories/osteoarthritis/vassilis-ferentouros.aspx

About the XCell-Center

The XCell-Center operates treatment centers in Cologne and Dusseldorf, Germany. It is the first privately-owned clinic in Europe to specialize in regenerative medicine using autologous bone marrow stem cell therapy and operates in accordance with German law and European guidelines. Its specialized medical team of German physicians includes specialists in: neurosurgery, orthopedics, cardiology, radiology, anesthesiology and pharmacology.

The XCell-Center also treats Diabetes and its complications (Erectile Dysfunction and Peripheral Artery Disease), Stroke, Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Spinal Cord Injuries, Orthopedic diseases, Heart Disease and degenerative diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and several eye diseases.

For more information on Stem Cell Therapy:

XCell-Center Website: http://www.xcell-center.com

XCell-Center GmbH
at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine
Am Heerdter Krankenhaus 2
40549 Dusseldorf, Germamy

Phone: 1-866-680-8202 (USA Toll-Free)(+49) 0221-802-5095 (Germany)
Fax: 1-713-583-9322 (USA)(+49) 0221-2921-2550 (Germany)

###