New Treatments for Knee Osteoarthritis: Which to Choose?

Knee osteoarthritis is a widespread degenerative condition that alters quality of life by limiting daily mobility. Patients often find themselves divided between pharmaceutical therapies with temporary effects and complex surgical interventions, without knowing the alternatives now available thanks to scientific research.

At IMAGE REGENERATIVE we offer a cutting-edge medical pathway based on cellular regeneration and have developed specific protocols such as Orthopedic Lipogems® to reduce pain and visibly improve joint health naturally, utilizing the patient's own biological resources.

Understanding Knee Osteoarthritis: Causes and Symptoms

The knee is one of the most stressed joints in the human body and supports considerable mechanical loads daily. Over the years, repeated wear causes the cartilage protecting the bone surfaces to progressively thin, giving rise to osteoarthritis that affects millions of people in Italy. This deterioration causes a chronic inflammatory state that manifests with joint stiffness, swelling, crepitus during movement, and persistent pain, especially in the morning or after long periods of immobility.

Degenerative joint conditions such as osteoarthritis can compromise mobility to the point of making even the simplest gestures difficult, such as climbing stairs or getting up from a chair. Main risk factors include physiological aging, joint overload related to sports or work, previous trauma, genetic predisposition, and excess weight. Early recognition of symptoms and targeted intervention is essential to slow the degenerative process and restore an active and serene life to the patient.

Treatment Methodology Used at IMAGE REGENERATIVE

Our clinical approach aims to treat the origin of inflammation through the use of the body's natural biological resources. We utilize the Lipogems® technique, a method patented by Prof. Carlo Tremolada that exploits autologous adipose tissue for its reparative properties documented by international scientific literature.

The procedure takes place on an outpatient basis and involves harvesting a small amount of fat from the abdomen or flanks through minor liposuction under local anesthesia. The adipose tissue is then processed inside a closed and sterile medical device, where it is micro-fragmented and purified without the use of enzymes or additives. This step is crucial because it preserves intact mesenchymal stem cells and the perivascular niche that supports them. Finally, the preparation is injected under ultrasound guidance directly into the knee joint, initiating a natural process of tissue repair and reduction of chronic inflammation. The entire treatment lasts between 45 and 60 minutes and the patient returns home the same day.

Traditional vs. Innovative Treatments: A Comparison

When confronting joint pain, hyaluronic acid injections or cortisone use often represent the first remedies proposed by traditional orthopedic medicine. These treatments provide temporary joint lubrication or momentary reduction of inflammation, acting primarily on symptoms for a limited period ranging from three to six months. These are symptomatic solutions that act on the manifestation of the problem without addressing the biological causes of cartilage degeneration.

While hyaluronic acid injection techniques act only on symptoms temporarily, we chose the Lipogems® regenerative approach because it stimulates physiological processes of tissue repair and joint environment protection and maintains clinical benefits much longer. Regenerative medicine represents a significant paradigm shift for those wishing to delay or avoid prosthetic surgery, acting at the cellular level with living biological material harvested from the patient.

Regenerative Therapies: The Solutions at IMAGE REGENERATIVE

Regenerative medicine represents an excellence within our clinic. The Lipogems® methodology was born from an intuition of Prof. Carlo Tremolada, inventor of the technology worldwide and scientific director of IMAGE REGENERATIVE, and is today an FDA-cleared technology used in over forty countries. The system patented since 2010 allows obtaining a concentrated adipose tissue micro-graft, rich in mesenchymal stem cells and growth factors, maintaining intact the original cellular structure.

Our multidisciplinary team is composed of orthopedists, physiatrists, interventional radiologists, and specialized physiotherapists who collaborate to personalize each treatment based on the individual patient's clinical history.

At our locations in Milano and St. Moritz we welcome people of different ages, from young athletes seeking rapid recovery after an injury to adults wishing to visibly improve their daily mobility while delaying possible surgery. In many cases the treatment is now reimbursed by major private health insurances, when prescribed for orthopedic or rehabilitative purposes.

IMAGE REGENERATIVE also treats other musculoskeletal conditions with this methodology, such as hip osteoarthritis, shoulder osteoarthritis, ankle osteoarthritis, chronic tendinopathies, and meniscal lesions.

Regenerative Remedies: Studies and Results

The reliability of Lipogems® therapy is supported by solid international scientific evidence. Over 175 peer-reviewed clinical publications confirm the efficacy and safety of the treatment in orthopedic settings, with data collected on thousands of patients in specialized centers worldwide. Research shows that between 80 and 90 percent of patients experience significant improvement in pain, measured through the VAS scale, and a tangible increase in joint functionality evaluated with WOMAC and KOOS scores.

Scientific literature indicates that, in many cases, results have proven superior and more lasting compared to traditional hyaluronic acid injections or PRP, with clinical benefits maintained up to three to five years after treatment. Radiological and MRI examinations have also shown actual slowing of cartilage degeneration in numerous cases, confirming the deep action of therapy on joint biology. These are data that position Lipogems® as one of the most solid and documented options in the current panorama of orthopedic regenerative medicine, constantly updated thanks to scientific research.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the best treatment for knee osteoarthritis?

The choice of treatment must always be evaluated with a specialist based on the stage of the condition and the patient's clinical situation. Regenerative medicine treatments such as Lipogems® represent a very valid option for visibly improving joint health, offering lasting benefits and stimulating the body's natural repair processes without resorting to synthetic drugs or prosthetics.

What is the new treatment for knee osteoarthritis?

The main innovation in orthopedics is regenerative medicine based on autologous tissues. Using the patient's micro-fragmented adipose tissue, rich in mesenchymal stem cells, it is possible to reduce chronic inflammation and promote the health of damaged tissues naturally, reducing the need for major surgical interventions such as prosthetic implants.

What are the latest generation knee injections?

Latest generation injections are based on biological preparations harvested from the patient, such as Lipogems®. Compared to classic synthetic products, these solutions deliver living and complete tissue that acts directly on the biological causes of joint degeneration, with documented results that are much more extensive over time.

How does Lipogems® treatment for osteoarthritis work?

The physician performs minor liposuction under local anesthesia to harvest adipose tissue. The preparation is then processed inside the Lipogems® device to concentrate regenerative cells and immediately reinjected into the knee joint under ultrasound guidance. This outpatient procedure lasts about an hour and allows rapid return to normal daily activities.