How Much Will It Cost To Get Stem Cell Knee Injection?

Knee pain from osteoarthritis is one of the common reasons people seek stem cell knee therapy, which comes in the form of injection. Provided by reputable medical clinics with research consent from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), these injections are often used as an alternative to surgical joint replacement, which could be costly, invasive, and entail massive downtime.

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But how much does it cost to get a stem cell knee injection for osteoarthritic pain and a range of musculoskeletal conditions? The cost largely depends on the specific circumstances. One, therapy may be availed at a stem cell clinic or a university or major medical center. Second, insurance coverage may also play a factor in the needed funding.

Stem cell therapy for knee osteoarthritis is growing, with centers revealing high clinical efficacy as well as direct-to-consumer mean cost that exceeds $5,000 for every therapy, according to a study shown at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. The therapy had a mean cost of $5,156 based on the 65 centers that disclosed pricing information for a same-day stem cell unilateral knee injection. The price range was $1,150 to $12,000.

The cost is likely completely out of pocket, too. There have been patients, however, who already underwent a knee replacement but revealed that they aren’t interested in another surgery for the opposite knee and that their deductible cost – even with Medicare and their supplement – was about $5,000 or the cost of a single joint stem cell injection.

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It’s also interesting to note how different places charge patients. In traditional clinic trials, the participants may only have to pay smaller associated costs and others such as travel and lodging. At for-profit clinics, the prices cited above may very well apply, and with the different clinics around, competition may also play a role.

Victoria Mondloch, M.D., is a practicing physician with more than three decades of experience. She holds free weekly public lectures on joint pain and intra-articular stem cell injections. More articles like this here.