Clive Randell, 57, injured his leg in a motorcycle accident in 2011
Thanks to a new stem cell procedure, he can now ride his bike again
Stem cells taken from the pelvis are blended with gel to 'glue' the bone
By DAVID GERRIE
7-12-14
A pioneering stem cell procedure to repair fractured bones could provide a lifeline for accident victims facing the amputation of a limb.
The development involves harvesting stem cells – ‘master’ cells that are able to transform into any kind of body tissue – from the patient’s pelvis, blending them with a specially created gel and injecting the solution into the damaged bone.
One patient already benefiting is lifelong motorcycle enthusiast Clive Randell who suffered horrific injuries to his left leg when his Harley-Davidson was rammed by a car in 2011.
He suffered multiple open fractures, leaving bone protruding through the skin, and extensive skin loss. Doctors repeatedly told him his leg would have to be amputated.
Today, though, Clive, 57, is back on his feet – and, astonishingly, also his bike – thanks to the ground-breaking stem-cell treatment.
He says: ‘I may never dance the tango, but, thanks to Professor Shetty, I will be able to get as near to normal as possible.’
There are 350,000 serious fractures admitted to hospitals in the UK every year.
Five to ten per cent fail to heal, leading to multiple operations, bone-grafting and, if these treatments fail, potentially amputation.
Previously, the lack of blood and DNA in fractured bone has meant newly introduced cells had no way of ‘signalling’ the damaged cells to regenerate.
The new treatment overcomes this obstacle, with the gel’s ingredients ‘telling’ the old cells to grow again.
The operation, performed under a general anaesthetic, takes only 30 minutes and the patient can walk and go home on the same day. To date, it has been carried out successfully on six patients in the UK, four in India and 20 in South Korea.
‘Experiments have shown that collagen can trigger the transformation of stem cells into bone forming cells,’ says Professor Anan Shetty, Deputy Director of Minimally Invasive Surgery at Kent’s Canterbury Christ Church University.
‘These “miracle” cells are abundant in bone marrow, so may be harvested, concentrated and applied with a collagen ‘scaffold’ into an area of poor healing.’
Bone marrow is drawn from the patient’s pelvis using a hollow needle. This marrow contains a mixture of stem cells, red blood cells and blood-forming cells.
The stems cells in the suspension are separated from the others in a centrifuge.
The now-concentrated bone marrow stem cell suspension is mixed with collagen and the mixture is ready for implantation by injection.
The surgeon stabilises the fracture, sometimes with a long metal rod through the medullary canal – the hollow inside of the bone. A small incision at the knee allows access to the top of the tibia.
The stem cell and collagen suspension is then injected into the fracture site and around the bone, guided by X-ray.
Following surgery the patient is allowed to partially weight-bear, and progressively increase the load he applies through his leg.
To date, Prof Shetty’s pioneering procedure results in half the healing time associated with traditional treatment and, at £2,000 to £3,000, costs a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of pounds usually involved in amputation, rehabilitation and prosthetics.
Professor Norimasa Nakamura, president elect of the International Cartilage Repair Society and one of the world’s leading authorities on stem cell treatment, has welcomed Prof Shetty’s work, saying: ‘It will revolutionise the whole field of bone fracture repairs.
‘The patient has a more effective treatment and the health provider saves money.
‘It’s a win-win situation.’
In the 18 months after his accident, Clive, a high-altitude window cleaner from Orpington, Kent, had a cage screwed to his damaged leg, three bone grafts and a raft of other procedures.
As a result of the accident (for which the driver of the car was successfully prosecuted) and the medication prescribed, he lost his job, his girlfriend and most of his money. At one stage he contemplated suicide.
At his wits’ end, Clive – who had never been admitted to hospital in his life – turned to the internet and typed in the search box ‘I want to save my leg’.
He came across Prof Shetty’s name, and says he is still in a state of disbelief over the reversal in his fortunes since having the operation in 2012.
‘Six hours after the operation, Professor Shetty told me to get up and go for a walk,’ he says. ‘After being in and out of hospitals, I really couldn’t believe it.
‘I’d suffered 15 months of being told there was a good chance I was going to lose my leg, yet eight weeks after the procedure I was told to start putting weight on it and to walk as much as I could.
‘It still hurts to walk long distances, but that will improve.
‘My foot is turned out a little bit to the side and I have a limp, but that’s a small price to pay to keep my leg.
‘My hope is this procedure will eventually be available to everyone, since it can help so many people, particularly the military.
‘The old way of mending broken bones is so painful and stops you getting on with your life.
‘Professor Shetty’s stem cell surgery is quick and almost painless, so it’s important more people hear about it.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2689847/Saved-form-amputation-stem-cell-gel-rebuilt-shattered-leg.html#ixzz37TLLzgvA
Thanks to a new stem cell procedure, he can now ride his bike again
Stem cells taken from the pelvis are blended with gel to 'glue' the bone
By DAVID GERRIE
7-12-14
A pioneering stem cell procedure to repair fractured bones could provide a lifeline for accident victims facing the amputation of a limb.
The development involves harvesting stem cells – ‘master’ cells that are able to transform into any kind of body tissue – from the patient’s pelvis, blending them with a specially created gel and injecting the solution into the damaged bone.
One patient already benefiting is lifelong motorcycle enthusiast Clive Randell who suffered horrific injuries to his left leg when his Harley-Davidson was rammed by a car in 2011.
He suffered multiple open fractures, leaving bone protruding through the skin, and extensive skin loss. Doctors repeatedly told him his leg would have to be amputated.
Today, though, Clive, 57, is back on his feet – and, astonishingly, also his bike – thanks to the ground-breaking stem-cell treatment.
He says: ‘I may never dance the tango, but, thanks to Professor Shetty, I will be able to get as near to normal as possible.’
There are 350,000 serious fractures admitted to hospitals in the UK every year.
Five to ten per cent fail to heal, leading to multiple operations, bone-grafting and, if these treatments fail, potentially amputation.
Previously, the lack of blood and DNA in fractured bone has meant newly introduced cells had no way of ‘signalling’ the damaged cells to regenerate.
The new treatment overcomes this obstacle, with the gel’s ingredients ‘telling’ the old cells to grow again.
The operation, performed under a general anaesthetic, takes only 30 minutes and the patient can walk and go home on the same day. To date, it has been carried out successfully on six patients in the UK, four in India and 20 in South Korea.
‘Experiments have shown that collagen can trigger the transformation of stem cells into bone forming cells,’ says Professor Anan Shetty, Deputy Director of Minimally Invasive Surgery at Kent’s Canterbury Christ Church University.
‘These “miracle” cells are abundant in bone marrow, so may be harvested, concentrated and applied with a collagen ‘scaffold’ into an area of poor healing.’
Bone marrow is drawn from the patient’s pelvis using a hollow needle. This marrow contains a mixture of stem cells, red blood cells and blood-forming cells.
The stems cells in the suspension are separated from the others in a centrifuge.
The now-concentrated bone marrow stem cell suspension is mixed with collagen and the mixture is ready for implantation by injection.
The surgeon stabilises the fracture, sometimes with a long metal rod through the medullary canal – the hollow inside of the bone. A small incision at the knee allows access to the top of the tibia.
The stem cell and collagen suspension is then injected into the fracture site and around the bone, guided by X-ray.
Following surgery the patient is allowed to partially weight-bear, and progressively increase the load he applies through his leg.
To date, Prof Shetty’s pioneering procedure results in half the healing time associated with traditional treatment and, at £2,000 to £3,000, costs a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of pounds usually involved in amputation, rehabilitation and prosthetics.
Professor Norimasa Nakamura, president elect of the International Cartilage Repair Society and one of the world’s leading authorities on stem cell treatment, has welcomed Prof Shetty’s work, saying: ‘It will revolutionise the whole field of bone fracture repairs.
‘The patient has a more effective treatment and the health provider saves money.
‘It’s a win-win situation.’
In the 18 months after his accident, Clive, a high-altitude window cleaner from Orpington, Kent, had a cage screwed to his damaged leg, three bone grafts and a raft of other procedures.
As a result of the accident (for which the driver of the car was successfully prosecuted) and the medication prescribed, he lost his job, his girlfriend and most of his money. At one stage he contemplated suicide.
At his wits’ end, Clive – who had never been admitted to hospital in his life – turned to the internet and typed in the search box ‘I want to save my leg’.
He came across Prof Shetty’s name, and says he is still in a state of disbelief over the reversal in his fortunes since having the operation in 2012.
‘Six hours after the operation, Professor Shetty told me to get up and go for a walk,’ he says. ‘After being in and out of hospitals, I really couldn’t believe it.
‘I’d suffered 15 months of being told there was a good chance I was going to lose my leg, yet eight weeks after the procedure I was told to start putting weight on it and to walk as much as I could.
‘It still hurts to walk long distances, but that will improve.
‘My foot is turned out a little bit to the side and I have a limp, but that’s a small price to pay to keep my leg.
‘My hope is this procedure will eventually be available to everyone, since it can help so many people, particularly the military.
‘The old way of mending broken bones is so painful and stops you getting on with your life.
‘Professor Shetty’s stem cell surgery is quick and almost painless, so it’s important more people hear about it.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2689847/Saved-form-amputation-stem-cell-gel-rebuilt-shattered-leg.html#ixzz37TLLzgvA