Bone marrow for the knee
Bone marrow is drawn from the hip bone, concentrated and injected into the knee joint. In Korea, this is an assessed medical procedure for specific stages of knee osteoarthritis. Ask whether your knee falls within that, and what imaging the doctor needs.
What research says
A 2025 Cochrane review found that, compared with a placebo injection, stem cell injections for knee osteoarthritis may slightly improve pain and function up to six months, based on low-certainty evidence. The reviewers remain uncertain about any effect on the structure of the knee and about long-term safety.
Whittle et al., Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2025
Before you travel
- X-ray or MRI report, and the images if you have them
- Your medicines, including blood thinners
- What you have already tried for the pain
Questions
What does research say about knee injections?
A 2025 Cochrane review found that, compared with a placebo injection, stem cell injections for knee osteoarthritis may slightly improve pain and function up to six months, based on low-certainty evidence. The reviewers remain uncertain about any effect on the structure of the knee and about long-term safety.
Should I send my MRI before travelling?
Yes, if you have one. Send the report or images with your question. We pass them to the clinic and ask how it would assess you.
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Ask before you book
Send your question, your dates and any X-ray or MRI report you already have. COMEDI, the registered coordinator for international patients that runs this site, gets the clinic’s written answer and an itemised quote before you travel.