Ross A. Hauser, MD & Joseph J. Cukla, LPN. Standard Clinical X-ray Studies Document Cartilage Regeneration in Five Degenerated Knees After Prolotherapy. Journal of Prolotherapy. 2009;1:22-28.

A series of Prolotherapy treatments improved the X-ray findings in these five degenerated knees. Specifically, the joint space width (JSW) in these X-rays increased with Prolotherapy, signifying the regeneration of articular cartilage. The three patients also reported improvements in their pain and function with the Prolotherapy treatments.

Articular cartilage degeneration is the hallmark of the Osteoarthritis that affects 46 million Americans. It has a major impact on functioning and independence and is the leading cause of disability in the general population of the United States according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).[24] As the U.S. population ages, these numbers are likely to increase sharply. Among adults of working age (18 to 64 years), work limitations attributable to arthritis affects about one in 20 adults in the general population and one-third of those with arthritis.[25] For example, the annual cost of OA per person living with OA is approximately $5,700, but the economic burden of disabling knee and hip osteoarthritis has an annual cost per person of almost $10,000.[26,27] Needless to say efforts or treatments that could potentially reverse or stop the progression of OA would have a huge quality of life, as well as economic impact not only on individual patients but on health care costs overall.

Read the full article at the Journal of Prolotherapy.