Overview:The knees provide stable support to the body. They allow the legs to bend and straighten, along with providing flexibility and the stability needed to stand, walk, run, crouch, jump, etc. Knee problems may become a serious disability for many people as it affects day-to-day activities and is a major cause of time lost. Mechanical knee problems can be caused by regular wear-and-tear with the ageing process, or any direct injury to the knee. Knee problems can also be caused by inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.Up until now, knee replacement surgery has been the traditional and conventional option to relieve pain and stiffness, as the joint cartilage and bone deteriorate. Traditional Methods Leading To Cancer:Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) is an elective procedure to relieve pain and restore function to the joint by means of replaced or remodeled joint. It is the most common method of treating severe arthritis of the knee for the ages of 30 and 65 years1.During the initial studies, the challenges considered were implant durability and computer-assisted procedure, though it had other challenges. The after-effects of the procedure were sidelined and ignored. These include blood clots, nerve and tissue damage, and infections.Studies have documented at least 24 malignant formations following knee replacement surgeries2. The magnitude of some of these increased cancer risks is very troubling. The major cause of concern is the use of cobalt and chromium in the implant, which have been found to be carcinogenic in animal trials. Bone cement and polyethylene (used for the knee replacement procedure) have also been identified as cancer-inducing elements in animals.Blood cancers may also be caused by metals leaching from the knee prosthesis over long periods of time and in some cases of fusion prosthesis, there were traces of chromium leaching into the blood.It is also being studied if risk for cancer of the kidney is increased, 10 years post-TKA, and for bladder cancer as early as 5 to 9 years after the procedure3.While TKA generally leads to an increased risk of bone/connective tissue cancers, further research is required to prove it beyond doubt. Overall patterns of cancer risk were broadly similar for knee and hip replacements. Differences in risk patterns between men and women were notable for cancers of the lung, skin, and urinary tract.Suppositions about causal association between joint replacements and cancer are largely concerned with the effects of metal implants.Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF):To avoid these risks, SVF can be considered as a safer alternative to Total knee replacement. The technology uses processed cells from a person’s adipose fat, introduced back into affected joints. Conducted in a single operation, the procedure does not involve any metal or other synthetic materials. The treatment is centered around the body’s own SVF cells that possess regenerative potential. The rapid processing of the culture expanded SVF cells ensures less chance for contamination. The costs involved are also lower than that for TKA.SVF procedure has demonstrated a strong safety profile with no severe adverse complications linked to the therapy. No enzyme, chemical, culture or animal product is utilized in the procedure.References:Ringdahl E, Pandit S. Treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Am Fam Physician. 2011;83:1287–92“The Risk of Cancer Following Total Hip or Knee Arthroplasty”, Ravi Tharani, Frederick J. Dorey, and Thomas P. Schmalzried, J Bone Joint Surg Am, 2001 May; 83 (5): 774 -780. http://jbjs.org/content/83/5/774.fullGoldacre MJ, Wotton CJ, Seagroatt V, Yeates D. Cancer following hip and knee arthroplasty: record linkage study. Br J Cancer. 2005;92:1298–1301