Lumbar degenerative disc disease

discopatia_lumbar

The Institute of Tissue Regenerative Therapy (ITRT) is a is a global pioneer in spinal disc regeneration. The clinical trials he has conducted scientifically demonstrate that it is possible to regenerate the disc naturally, eliminate pain, and avoid the need for uncomfortable and costly prostheses.

A single dose is sufficient to initiate regeneration thanks to the power of Cultured Mesenchymal Stem Cells (CMSC) and heal the injury permanently. This treatment can only be performed when part of the vertebral disc remains intact, to which the cells can adhere.

Clinical trials have shown that this therapy, which is also minimally invasive, improves not only pain but also the size and height of the vertebral discs. The results have been published in some of the most prestigious medical and scientific journals worldwide.

What is chronic lower back pain?

When pain in the lumbar region persists over time, we refer to it as chronic low back pain or chronic lumbago. One of the most common causes of chronic lower back pain is degeneration of the intervertebral disc. In most cases, this process is asymptomatic or mild, but if it causes pain, different procedures must be used to improve the patient's condition.

Lower back pain is the second leading cause of sick leave and responsible for the annual loss of 700,000 working days, according to data provided by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. It affects 67 million people in the European Union, which includes approximately 5 million in Spain. It is estimated that 75% of the population suffers from lower back pain at some point in their lives, 90% overcome it within 3 months, but in 5%-10% of cases it becomes chronic.

What is the most common treatment?

There are different treatments for chronic lower back pain caused by degeneration:

• Initially, treatment focuses on stabilizing the lumbar spine with exercises, correcting postural faults, reducing weight, and administering analgesics and muscle relaxants.
• When the pain persists, physiotherapy and rehabilitation programs are usually implemented at specialised centres, and various types of injections may be used.
• If the pain persists, surgical procedures may sometimes be necessary, such as restricting movement or immobilizing the affected area. In Spain, around 1,000 spinal fusions (arthrodesis) are performed each year, and around 40,000 in the USA.

Culture-Based Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy

The stem cells that can be extracted from the human body are scarce, insufficient to achieve tissue recovery, so ITRT applied the innovation of multiplying them.

The procedure involves a brief and painless initial intervention in which some stem cells are extracted from the patient's iliac crest (pelvis).

These cells are sent to the laboratory to be cultured under ideal conditions for three weeks, so that they multiply to exceed 250 million units. Millions of cells are extracted from this culture, and the rest of the production is cryogenically frozen and stored in case of future patient needs.

Then, approximately 21 days after the first procedure, the mesenchymal stem cells, once they have been CULTURED, are implanted in the area of the injury.