Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : April 29, 2022 11:13 AM IST
Some patients with COVID-19 tend to suffer from symptoms even months after recovery some of which are completely unrelated to the viral infection. For example, patients have reported joint pain, low hemoglobin levels, muscle cramps, etc that was not present before the COVID-19 infection. Such patients are considered to have the so-called 'long COVID syndrome.' Because some of these conditions tend to become permanent, doctors have warned that it could lead to a significant health burden in the coming years. Many patients are also suffering from avascular necrosis after recovering from COVID-19.
Avascular necrosis (AVN) is a condition where the blood supply to a joint is disrupted, and it commonly occurs in the hip joint, said Dr. Pradeep Mahajan. Regenerative Medicine Researcher, StemRx Bioscience Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Navi Mumbai.
"Disruption of blood supply can occur due to trauma or certain medications like steroids. Steroids can cause fat globules to form, which can block blood flow. In addition, steroids can increase the risk of clots forming within blood vessels (intravascular coagulation), which can disrupt blood flow," he explained.
Talking about the possible complications, he noted that, in AVN, when blood flow is disrupted, the affected joint/bone loses its nutritional supply and gradually breaks down. As a result, patients find it difficult to perform their daily living activities by themselves due to pain and ultimately bone collapse. AVN tends to progress rapidly in about 6 months in several cases and joint replacement is generally the final treatment option, he added.
Dr. Mahajan suggested that Avascular Necrosis in COVID-recovered patients could be a side effect of medications given to treat COVID.
"Patients with COVID-19 were treated with medications like steroids, antiviral agents, antibiotics, oxygen, etc. administered to control the overall burden of the disease. We can only assume that the infectivity of the virus causes problems in multiple tissues/organs (not just the respiratory system), weakened immune system, and medications have led to certain side effects like avascular necrosis, breathing issues, muscle, and nerve-related weakness, etc. months after recovery. Add on to this the current sedentary lifestyle of many individuals," he said.
Dr. Mahajan said they are seeing many cases of Avascular Necrosis in young and old patients alike after COVID-19 and steroid use appears to be a strong cause.
According to Dr. Mahajan, Avascular Necrosis patients can be successfully treated with a novel regenerative medicine approach.
He said, "Generally, patients do not wish to undergo joint replacement, especially at a young age, due to several issues related to having a prosthetic appliance in the body. We have a novel, safe, and effective treatment modality for AVN cell-based therapy, which has shown good results in hundreds of patients even before the pandemic."
Dr. Mahajan's cell-based therapy for Avascular Necrosis is a patented formulation and several patients have benefitted from this minimally invasive modality over the years.
The treatment involves a regenerative medicine approach through the use of an osteoinductive formulation, which is based on mesenchymal cells obtained from the patient's own body. The autologous source of cells makes it a safe procedure with no risk of rejection or side effects. The advantage of using biological molecules is that regeneration of lost tissues can be achieved, along with a reduction in inflammation, clearing the affected area of dead tissues, etc. in a natural manner.
Dr. Mahajan has published papers on AVN in scientific journals and has presented his cases at various national and international conferences.
Our body has innate healing potential. Cells, growth factors, peptides, exosomes, etc. can be utilized to target the pathology of various conditions and not just treat the signs and symptoms. These biological agents have several functions from housekeeping to maintaining the internal balance of the body to boosting the immune system, and many more. "Through cell-based therapy, we know that we can achieve success in multiple conditions irrespective of the cause. COVID-19 or steroid-induced AVN is the first condition in this list and can be treated successfully," concluded Dr. Mahajan.
