The latest in orthopedic surgery and stem cell therapy was discussed in a study that appeared in the January 2014 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (Volume 96, Issue 2). The study, whose full title is "Adult Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) Delivered via Intra-Articular Injection to the Knee, Following Partial Medial Meniscectomy", followed groups of patients who received a single injection of stem cells after knee surgery.
The study was designed with three groups of patients: those receiving a "low-dose" of 50 million stem cells within 7-10 days after surgery, those receiving a higher dose of 100 million stem cells, and a control group receiving sodium hyaluronate without stem cells. The surgery performed is called a partial meniscectomy, a procedure that is used to treat tears in the meniscus by removing all or part of the torn cartilage. There were a total of 55 patients in the study.
The key findings of this study were as follows:
1. There was no abnormal/ectopic tissue formation.
2. There were no "clinically important" safety issues identified.
3. There was "significantly increased meniscal volume" by MRI in 24% of the "low-dose" patients, and 6% in the higher dosed patients at one year. There was no statistical increase in either group at 2 years. A "significant increase" was defined as at least a 15% increase.
4. There was no statistical increase in meniscal volume in any of the control group patients.
5. Stem cell patients with osteoarthritis showed a reduction in pain; control group patients experienced no decrease in pain.
These findings are consistent with what has been found in the literature and with the results we have experienced in our practice. The stem cells show improvement both objectively (increased meniscal volume by MRI) and subjectively (decreased pain). It is interesting that this study was performed on post-surgical patients, as the stem cell therapy might have eliminated the need for surgery if performed alone. However, it does show that stem cells can be beneficial for those patients who are determined to have surgery.
