- Over the past several years, interest in alpha 2 macroglobulin (A2M) has grown as a potential treatment to help treat arthritis pain and protect cartilage against post traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). After a knee injury like an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear, studies show that the articular cartilage that lines the bones of the knee commonly is also damaged with knee trauma and results in early onset of PTOA in the knee joint.
- A2M has been shown in studies to suppress degenerative inflammation by neutralizing cartilage damaging enzymes and possibly reduces progression of arthritis after a knee injury.
- A2M is found in our blood at higher levels than our joint fluid and by concentrating A2M from your blood, A2M can then be injected into the damaged joint where the A2M is a powerful inhibitor of cartilage catabolic factors. This allows A2M to potentially help stop the progression of cartilage breakdown and preventing further cartilage loss which leads to arthritis.
- A2M is a plasma protien that is also found in PRP (platelet rich plasma). Through a special filtration process using a sample of your blood, A2M can be concentrated and then re-injected into your affected joint such as the knee or hip.
- A2M is also a plasma protease inhibitor that blocks inflammatory and destructive effects of proteases acting on cartilage in joints. Based on animal studies, A2M is able help block the damaging effect of certain catabolic proteases that are elevated in joints with arthritis. By doing so, A2M can reduce the inflammatory cascade causing pain in the affected joint.
- One A2M injection can provide prolonged anti-inflammatory benefit . Animal studies suggest that supplemental intra-articular A2M provides chondral protection for post traumatic OA.
- By inhibiting cartilage degradating factors, A2M may thereby inhibit arthritis progression.
- If you have had a knee or joint injury and are interested in protecting your articular cartilage from additional damage, this injection is safe and worth discussing with your sports medicine doctor.
