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Mesenchymal stem cell injection may improve outcomes in patients with knee OA
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Patients with varus knee osteoarthritis who received a mesenchymal stem cell injection when undergoing high tibial osteotomy experienced improved clinical outcomes compared with patients who did not receive mesenchymal stem cell injections, according to published results.
Based on sex, age and lesion size, researchers pair-matched 50 patients with varus knee OA undergoing high tibial osteotomy alone with 50 patients undergoing high tibial osteotomy with a mesenchymal stem cell injection. Researchers evaluated clinical outcomes with IKDC and Lysholm scores and evaluated the femorotibial angle and posterior tibial slope as radiological outcomes. Using the ICRS grade, researchers evaluated cartilage regeneration at second-look arthroscopic surgery.
Results showed mean IKDC and Lysholm scores significantly improved in both groups at the time of second-look arthroscopic surgery. When the values at second-look arthroscopic surgery were compared with clinical outcomes at final follow-up, researchers found further improvement in IKDC and Lysholm scores among patients who received mesenchymal stem cell injections. Researchers noted a significant difference in the mean IKDC and Lysholm scores between the two groups at final follow-up. Patients who underwent high tibial osteotomy alone had better overall ICRS grades, which results showed significantly correlated with clinical outcomes.
At final follow-up, radiological outcomes showed improved knee joint alignment relative to patients’ preoperative conditions. However, researchers found no significant correlation with clinical outcomes or ICRS grade in either group.
“This study revealed improved clinical outcomes in both groups at the time of second-look arthroscopic surgery, which significantly correlated with the simultaneously obtained ICRS grade,” the authors wrote. “However, there was a significant difference in ICRS grades between groups, and further improvement of clinical outcomes from the time of second-look arthroscopic surgery to final follow-up was only observed in the injection group. Therefore, an [mesenchymal stem cell] MSC injection should be considered as an additional procedure for better cartilage regeneration with improved clinical outcomes in patients undergoing [high tibial osteotomy] HTO for varus knee OA.” – by Casey Tingle
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
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