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Mesenchymal stem cells aid healing in older patients in treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus
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Mesenchymal stem cells in combination with arthroscopic bone marrow stimulation in older patients have produced encouraging results for the treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus, according to this study.
“Although still in the early stages of application, [mesenchymal stem cells] MSCs may have great potential in the treatment of [osteochondral lesions of the talus] OLTs in patients older than 50 years, and more evaluations of its effect should be performed,” Yong Sang Kim, MD, and colleagues wrote in their study abstract.
Kim and colleagues examined 65 patients who were a minimum of 50 years old and had arthroscopic treatment for OLTs, according to the abstract. They divided the cohort into two groups based on whether the patients received MSC injections in addition to arthroscopic bone marrow stimulation.
While each both had significantly improved VAS and American Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle-Hindfoot Scale scores after treatment, the MSC group had significantly better VAS and AOFAS scores at final follow-up compared to the group that received marrow stimulation alone. Further, Roles and Maudsley and Tegner activity scale scores were significantly higher in the MSC group, according to the abstract.
The researchers noted large lesion size and subchondral cysts were significant predictors of poor clinical outcome in the group with marrow stimulation alone. However, these factors were not significant predictors in the MSC group.
Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.
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