Follow up study proves safety and efficacy of stem cells for back pain. The US National Library of Medicine recently accepted and published the abstract for “Treatment of discogenic back pain with autologous bone marrow concentrate injection with minimum two year follow-up.”

The study, featured in International Orthopaedics on July 10, 2015, consisted of 26 patients with chronic, discogenic back pain and degenerative disc disorder. All 26 participants were treated with Bone Marrow Concentrate, injected into the nucleus pulposus of the symptomatic disc(s) under fluoroscopic guidance. Patients were evaluated clinically prior to treatment and at three, six, 12 and 24 months, and radiographically prior to treatment and at 12 months.

The study results show there were no complications from the percutaneous bone marrow aspiration or disc injection. Of 26 patients, 24 (92 %) avoided surgery through 12 months, while 21 (81 %) avoided surgery through two years. Total and rate of pain reduction were linked to mesenchymal stem cell concentration through 12 months. Only five of the 26 patients elected to undergo surgical intervention (fusion or artificial disc replacement) by the two year milestone.