CHENNAI: Given a chance, most patients would not opt for a painful surgery or take high dosage of medicines causing side effects. What if, there was a procedure where one’s own blood could develop enough proteins to fight pain? This option is now available for Osteoarthiritis patients for the first time in India, through a German therapy called Orthokine Therapy.
Chennai is the first city in the country where the therapy kit will be made available. The therapy is already widely popular in 35 countries and is being endorsed by the city’s well-known consultant orthopedic surgeon Madan Mohan Reddy. “Orthokine therapy consists of obtaining ‘antiarthritis proteins’ and growth factors from the patient’s own blood and then injecting these endogenous substances back into the affected joint,” Reddy said.
The procedure starts with blood being collected from a vein in the patient’s arm using a special syringe. The blood is then contained in an insulated container for 6-9 hours, during when the blood cells are encouraged to produce high levels of the “good” proteins. After this, the sample is centrifuged to separate solid components of the blood from the serum, which now contains elevated concentrations of the patient’s own “good” proteins. This blood is re-administered to the affected areas.
Four injections are needed for the procedure and these proteins get attached to very specific sites on the affected cartilage and membrane cells. This therapy essentially prevents further cartilage breakdown, inflammation and pain of the area. “Since it is the body’s own natural medicine, there are absolutely no side effects. The therapy kit contains the special syringe with glass beads to stimulate the blood to produce the proteins and is being provided by the German company- Orthogen Lab Service, who will provide the kit through the Indian associate company QMed Solutions.
Henrik Ronsh, Managing Director of Orthogen Lab Services said some of the world’s top sports people and other personalities have gone in for this therapy. “Results can be seen within a maximum of six weeks. The improvement can normally be expected to last anywhere between six months to as much as two years or much longer and can also be used to delay surgeries,” he added. The entire therapy costs `30,000.