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Updated January 05, 2015.

Patients with severe arthritis who face the potential of joint replacement surgery often wonder about the possibility of using scientific advancements to cure their joint disorder.  While joint replacement is effective, joint replacements can also wear out with time, and there are possible complications associated with having artificial implants in your body.

The prospect of using stem cells, rather than an artificial joint, in the treatment of arthritis is exciting.


  The hope is to one day develop a solution such that the effects of arthritis could be reversed.  While we may not be at the point where we can avoid replacing joints, there is some hope for the future.

Stem Cells

Stem cells are cells that have the ability to become different types of cells.  Not every stem cell can become any type of tissue, but there are stem cells that have the ability to become cartilage cells (called chondrocytes).  Stem cells also have other unique characteristics important for the prospect of restoring joint cartilage.  This includes the ability to release substances that attract other cell types important for healing.

Stem cells that have the ability to turn into chondrocytes can be obtained from a few different sources including bone marrow, fat tissues, and other locations.  Stem cells differentiate into specific cell types based on the environment in which they are placed. 

Joint Structure

One of the major problems with trying to use stem cells to cure arthritis, is that the normal architecture of the joint has been damaged.

  Cartilage is a complex tissue that includes cells (chondrocytes), but is also a lattice framework made of collagen and other proteins.  This framework has the unique ability to store lots of water (to provide cushioning), but is also very strong.  Most people with arthritis have lost this cartilage framework, and simply injecting stem cells does nothing to restore the structure of the cartilage.

Furthermore, by the time arthritis has advanced to stages where treatment is typically pursued, many patients have developed permanent deformity to the joint.  This may include bone spurs, changes in joint alignment, and damage to other tissues such as ligaments that support the joint.  Again, simply injecting new cartilage cells would not address any of this damage.

Tissue Engineering

Probably the most significant barrier to using stem cells in treatment of arthritis is engineering a new matrix or structure to support the new cartilage cells.  This engineered tissue must have some specific properties:

• It has to be able to be shaped to a specific individual
• It has to stay in the location where it is placed
• It has to be strong enough to hold up to normal forces experienced by the joint

The Future

There are some exciting prospects for the use of stem cells and tissue engineering for future treatment of arthritis.  Research is ongoing, but as of right now, there is nothing close to being an alternative for joint replacement surgery.  Most of the recent research has been to investigate the use of stem cells in individuals with focal areas of joint cartilage damage (not widespread arthritis).  These individuals might be considered for surgical procedures including microfracture or autologous chondrocyte implantation, but not a complete joint replacement.  Hopefully, over the next few decades, more information will help guide surgeons to alternatives to artificial joints.

<sub>Sources:

Kelly FB and Porucznik MA "Applying Stem Cells to Orthopaedic Conditions " AAOSNow. June 2014. Page 1.</sub>