I was watching “That Metal Show” recently and Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi was the guest. He mentioned something rather interesting: he’s undergone stem cell therapy to replace some of the worn-out cartilage in his hands. (Also interesting: the process was recommended to him by good friend Eddie Van Halen who’d had the same procedure.) I was curious for details and searched online, finding this article.

“I’ve had this problem with my hand and I’ve had this stem-cell treatment on it,” Iommi told the BBC Radio 2 Radcliffe and Maconie Show. “The cartilage [was worn out between] the joints, and the joints [were] rubbing on the joints. It was bone to bone and it was getting a bit painful.”

Iommi has worn a hand guard to protect the injury but after taking painkillers and anti-inflammatories, he has turned to adult stem cells, which can restore defective muscles and help to regenerate cartilage growth. “This is the latest thing, so we’ll see if it works,” he said.

During his appearance, Iommi seemed pretty positive about the results.