Stem cells to help heal tennis elbow anyone? Yes…

Stem cells to help heal tennis elbow anyone? Yes…

Patients are receiving jabs to heal hard-to-treat tendon injuries

By ROGER DOBSON FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 18:06 EST, 22 September 2014 | UPDATED: 18:06 EST, 22 September 2014

Scientists believe stem cells will provide a more effective solution for tendon injuries

Patients are receiving jabs of their own cells in an attempt to heal hard-to-treat tendon injuries, such as tennis elbow.

The treatment, which has previously been used on injured racehorses, uses a patient’s stem cells to super-charge the body’s natural repair mechanisms.

Millions of Britons suffer tendon injuries. Tendons are the tough bands of tissue that connect muscle to bone. They can become damaged through wear and tear or injury, causing inflammation or tears.

Such damage is notoriously difficult to treat because tendons have a very poor blood supply, so healing compounds cannot reach the injury site. As a result, tough scar tissue often forms around the tendon, significantly hampering movement and flexibility.

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