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Article Type

Article

Abstract

Objective: This prospective study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of stem cell therapy in treating hip osteonecrosis in sickle cell anemia patients, focusing on functional outcomes, pain reduction, and safety.

Methods: A cohort of patients with radiologically confirmed osteonecrosis of the femoral head (Ficat stages I-III) underwent autologous bone marrow-derived stem cell therapy. Clinical outcomes were assessed using Harris Hip Scores (HHS) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain scores at baseline, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Complications were monitored, and statistical analyses included paired t-tests, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and effect size measurements.

Results: Significant improvements in HHS were observed, increasing from 43.8 at baseline to 67.2 at 12 months, with 85.4% maintenance of improvement at 24 months. VAS pain scores decreased from 7.9 to 4.0 at 12 months, with sustained relief (4.8) at 24 months. Early complications (45%) were mild and transient, while late complications (26%) were manageable, with no procedure-related mortality. Disease progression was halted in 92% of treated hips at 24 months.

Conclusion: Stem cell therapy is a safe and effective treatment for hip osteonecrosis in sickle cell anemia patients, particularly in early-stage disease. It offers significant functional improvement, pain relief, and disease stabilization, with a favorable safety profile. These findings support its potential as a viable alternative to traditional surgical interventions, warranting further multi-center trials to validate long-term efficacy.

Keywords

Osteonecrosis, Femoral Head, Stem Cell Therapy, Sickle cell anemia (SCA), Regenerative Medicine

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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