Stem Cells to Increase Muscle Strength

Recent research suggests that stem cells from placentas may help patients develop stronger hip muscles following hip replacement surgery. Known as PLacental eXpanded (PLX) cells, the mesynchemal stem cells can be administered without the need for tissue matching, and release hormones and growth factors that facilitate the healing of damaged tissue by stimulating the body’s own regenerative systems.

The PLX cells were tested on 20 patients following hip replacement, a procedure which leaves people limping for several months as the muscles around the joint heal. Six-month follow-up examinations showed that those patients who received the stem cells had stronger hip muscles (as measured by an exercise machine) than those in the placebo group. In all cases, the surgery was their first hip replacement, and further testing will need to be conducted to determine whether similar results can be expected in patients undergoing their second or third procedure, where the muscles have already undergone significant trauma.