Musculoskeletal & Pain
Osteoarthritis
The specific, progressive breakdown of cartilage inside a joint.
What is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is the gradual wearing down of the cartilage that cushions a joint, most often in knees, hips, hands or the spine. It's a distinct, diagnosable process — visible on X-ray as narrowed joint space and bony changes — rather than a general term for aches. It tends to worsen slowly over years, with morning stiffness that eases with movement being one of its more recognisable patterns.
How regenerative medicine supports it
We grade severity from imaging and examination before treating, since early and advanced osteoarthritis respond very differently. MSC therapy and PRP are our main tools to support the remaining cartilage and calm joint inflammation, with function tracked through walking and stair tests rather than repeat scans. Where imaging shows the joint space has closed completely, we say so plainly — a joint replacement will do more for you than further injections, and we won't string that along.
Treatments we would consider
Options discussed for this condition
Listed for orientation only. What is actually prescribed depends on your records.
If the evidence for treating osteoarthritis this way is thin, we will tell you before you book — and the review is not billed.
Osteoarthritis — Questions Patients Ask
My scan says bone on bone, is it too late for regenerative treatment?
Often, yes, and we'd rather say it than take the booking. Where cartilage is gone, a joint replacement usually serves you better, and we'll tell you which side of that line your scan puts you on.
Will this let me avoid a knee replacement?
Sometimes it defers one by years; sometimes it changes nothing. It depends heavily on how much cartilage remains.
How is progress actually measured?
By what you can do — walking distance, stairs without a rail, how often pain wakes you at night. Imaging rarely changes within a year, so we don't lean on it.
Does the injection hurt more than the arthritis?
For a few days it can. Joint injections often produce a flare before they settle, and patients who expect it cope with it far better than those who don't.
What will my joint actually feel like at 12 months?
Most responders describe steady function rather than dramatic transformation — walking further, fewer bad mornings, less reliance on painkillers.
Reviewed by Bangkok Stem Cell Center Medical Team | Last updated: August 2026
