World’s First Cultured Stem Cell Implant in Orthopaedic Patient
Jamie Stevens, 21 is an orthopaedic patient on whom the world’s first implant of cultured stem cells has been performed in the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Jamie fell from a motorcycle nine months ago and suffered a broken leg which had failed to heal.
In a trial operation doctors took stem cells from Mr Steven’s hip and harvested them in a laboratory before implanting them into his leg.
According to the hospital’s Director of Orthopaedics, Richard de Steiger, if successful the procedure could significantly reduce complications and costs associated with long bone operations.
“It’s the first procedure in the world to use the patient’s own stem cells and make them turn into bone forming cells that are the patient’s own cells, this should stimulate the healing of fractures,” he said.
