Barely a day passes without a reference to the near-magical effects of stem cell therapy — for regenerating nerves and muscle in conditions such as spinal cord injury and heart attacks. More recently, sports doctors and orthopaedic surgeons in the UK have turned to stem cell injections for knee arthritis for their potential to regenerate cartilage. It’s part of the new field of regenerative medicine. But is there any evidence that it regenerates tissue — and does stem cell therapy for arthritis UK actually work?
What is stem cell therapy?
Stem cells are the body’s raw material — cells that can develop into other, specialised cell types, such as cartilage, bone, or muscle. The theory behind stem cell therapy for arthritis is that, injected into a worn joint, these cells might grow into new cartilage and reverse the damage.
In sports medicine, we use stem cells to help improve pain in arthritis and tendonitis. The cells usually come from fat — taken from the tummy or thigh by liposuction — which is then processed to concentrate the stem cells. The resulting fluid is injected into the affected joint or tendon.
Are they really “stem cells”?
This is the first thing to understand. Most practices offering expensive stem cell therapy do not actually inject pure stem cells.
What’s injected is usually a preparation derived from fat or bone marrow that contains a small proportion of stem cells, alongside many other cell types and growth factors. The label “stem cell therapy” is, in most cases, a simplification of what’s really being given. That matters when you’re weighing up a treatment that often costs thousands of pounds.
Does stem cell therapy regenerate cartilage?
This is the crucial question — and the honest answer is no.
Despite the marketing, there’s no good evidence that stem cell injections regenerate cartilage or reverse arthritis. When these injections help, they do so by reducing pain and inflammation — not by growing new cartilage or repairing the joint.
Randomised controlled trials — the most reliable form of evidence — suggest stem cell injections are no more effective than a simple cortisone injection for arthritis pain. And contrary to popular belief, studies suggest that neither reliably reduces osteoarthritis pain in the longer term.
So what actually works for arthritis?
If the goal is genuine, lasting improvement, the evidence points firmly towards simpler, cheaper, and safer treatments:
- Exercise and weight loss have far stronger evidence than any injection and have no side effects. A 10% weight reduction can halve arthritis pain, and exercise is the single most effective treatment.
- Anti-inflammatory medication and supplements such as Boswellia and curcumin have reasonable evidence for knee arthritis.
- Injections — where injections are appropriate, high-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid, PRP, and Arthrosamid have better evidence than stem cells for reducing arthritis pain.
For the full evidence-based picture, see our guides to the best treatment for arthritis and what to do with damaged cartilage in the knee.
Should you consider stem cell therapy for arthritis UK?
Stem cell therapy may reduce arthritis pain in some people — but so do cheaper, better-studied injections, and the evidence that it does anything more than that, such as regenerating cartilage, is lacking. Given that it typically costs thousands of pounds, we don’t currently recommend it as a first-line, or even a preferred, treatment for arthritis.
Be cautious of any clinic marketing stem cell therapy as a way to “regrow cartilage” or “reverse arthritis”. The evidence doesn’t support those claims. An honest assessment of your arthritis — and a plan built on the treatments that genuinely work — is a better use of your time and money.
Frequently asked questions about stem cell therapy for arthritis UK
Does a stem cell injection for knee arthritis actually work?
It may reduce pain in some people, but there’s no good evidence it regenerates cartilage or reverses arthritis — and randomised trials suggest it’s no more effective than a cortisone injection. Given the high cost, better-studied and cheaper options usually make more sense.
Can stem cells regrow cartilage in my knee?
No. Despite widespread marketing claims, there’s no reliable evidence that stem cell injections regrow cartilage or reverse joint damage. When they help, it’s by easing pain and inflammation, not by repairing the joint.
Is a stem cell injection for knee arthritis available on the NHS?
No. Stem cell therapy for arthritis isn’t an established NHS treatment, because the evidence doesn’t support it. It’s offered privately in the UK, usually at considerable cost — which is a good reason to scrutinise its claims carefully.
How much does a stem cell injection for knee arthritis cost in the UK?
It’s one of the most expensive injectable options, typically running into thousands of pounds — far more than PRP, hyaluronic acid, or cortisone. Given that the evidence doesn’t show it works any better, the cost is hard to justify for most people.
What’s the difference between stem cell therapy and PRP?
Both are “regenerative” injections prepared from your own body. PRP concentrates platelets from your blood and has a larger evidence base for knee arthritis. Stem cell therapy uses cells derived from fat or bone marrow, costs considerably more, and has weaker evidence supporting it. Neither regenerates cartilage.
If it doesn’t regenerate cartilage, why do clinics offer it?
Because it can reduce pain, and because “regenerative medicine” is a powerful marketing message. But reducing pain is something several cheaper, better-studied treatments also do — so it’s worth being sceptical of claims that go beyond pain relief.
Final word from Sport Doctor London about stem cell therapy for arthritis UK
Stem cell therapy for arthritis is heavily marketed, but the evidence is underwhelming. It may reduce pain in some people — yet it doesn’t regenerate cartilage or reverse arthritis, and randomised trials suggest it’s no better than a cortisone injection. Given the high cost, we’d steer most people towards the treatments that genuinely work: exercise, weight loss, and, where appropriate, better-studied injections.
If you have arthritis and want honest, evidence-based advice on what will actually help, Dr Masci can assess you in London. Contact the team here or call +44 (0) 203 488 0350.
Interesting. I am an 80 year old woman with severe osteoarthritis of the right hip necessitating a walker for even in-home ambulation. My 58 year old son recently had a supposed placental stem cell injection to his back for herniated disc as well as protruding disc causing tingling, numbness and inability to raise his foot. This was given at a chiropractor’s office by a medical doctor trained to do stem cell injections. One injection cost $5000 and no guarantee it would work, that another injection might be necessary in three months. My question: Does this all sound legitimate?
No. There is no evidence that stem cell or placental injections are any better than other injections. We still need studies to show that these more expensive injections work better than other injections, such as hyaluronic acid or PRP.
Do you think that arthosamid treatment will one day be available for thumb arthritis? I am 65 years old and otherwise in good health, but due to a job that caused repetitive stress injury to my thumb joint there is no cartilage left in some places in that joint and it can be very painful and I can barely use that hand times. I have tried other injections, PT, and splints, but do not want to do more radical surgery. I would love to hear that arthosamid will likely be available for thumb joints also eventually.
Dear Becky,
Arthrosamid is only licensed for knee joint osteoarthritis. The company has yet to make plans to expand its use to other joints.
Lorenzo