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With patients undergoing first time 1st metatarsophalangeal joint arthrodesis using graft material when it was required to fill cystic bone voids, we retrospectively compared the time to fusion (clinical and radiographic), and non-union rate between the patient’s own bone autograft (n = 62) versus a mesenchymal stem cell impregnated allograft group (n = 51). A third control group (n = 52) was included in which an end-to-end arthrodesis was performed and no graft interposition was used or necessary. The non-union rate was 4% (n = 2) in the control group, 5.9% (n = 4) in the autograft group, and 9.5% (n = 5) in the mesenchymal stem cell allograft group. The time for radiographic fusion was 6.46 weeks for the control group, 6.52 weeks for the autograft group, and 6.53 weeks for the mesenchymal stem cell allograft group. The difference in time to clinical and radiographic union and the non-union rate were not found to be statistically significant among all 3 groups. Patient comorbidities and their possible effects on union rates were also analyzed within the populations. Some comorbidities had statistically significantly non-unions within the population, notably smoking (p = 0.024) and Rheumatoid arthritis (p = 0.001), however the populations were fairly small. The use of allogeneic bone graft impregnated with mesenchymal stem cells yields a similar fusion rate as with the use of autologous bone graft harvested from the surrounding area. The allograft impregnated with mesenchymal stem cells is a viable alternative yielding similar results when local autogenous bone graft is not available, not obtainable, or conditions warrant its use.

Ankle arthrodesis is commonly used in the treatment of ankle arthritis. The present study compared mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) bone allografts and proximal tibia autografts as adjuncts in performing ankle arthrodesis. A total of 109 consecutive ankle fusions performed from 2002 to 2008 were evaluated retrospectively. Of the 109 fusions, 24 were excluded from the present study, leaving 85 patients who had undergone ankle arthrodesis. Of the 85 patients, 41 had received a proximal tibia autograft and 44, an MSC bone allograft. These 2 groups were reviewed and compared retrospectively at least 2 years postoperatively for the overall fusion rate, interval to radiographic fusion, and interval to clinical fusion. A modified and adjusted American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons ankle scale was used to measure patient satisfaction. The overall fusion rate was 84.1% in the MSC bone allograft group and 95.1% in the proximal tibia autograft group (p = .158). The corresponding mean intervals to radiographic fusion were 13.0 ± 2.5 weeks and 11.3 ± 2.8 weeks (p ≤ .001). The interval to clinical fusion was 13.1 ± 2.1 weeks and 11.0 ± 1.5 weeks (p ≤ .001) in the MSC bone allograft and proximal tibia autograft group, respectively. No statistically significant difference was found in the fusion rates between the MSC bone allograft and proximal tibia autograft groups. Also, no statistically significant difference was found between the preoperative and postoperative scores using a modified and adjusted American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons ankle scale between the 2 groups (p = .41 and p = .44, respectively). A statistically significant delay to radiographic and clinical fusion was present in the MSC bone allograft group compared with the proximal tibia autograft group; however, no difference was found in patient satisfaction.

Autologous platelet gel (APG) has become an expanding field for perfusionists. By mixing platelet-rich plasma (PRP) with thrombin and calcium, platelet gel is prepared and used in many surgical settings. There are many devices used to produce PRP. This study evaluates the Medtronic Magellan Autologous Platelet Separator. The purpose of this study was to show that processing two cycles of the same syringe could reduce the amount of blood required to produce a specific volume of PRP. Three 60-mL syringes of whole blood with anticoagulant were removed from 15 elective coronary artery bypass patients. Each syringe produced 9 mL of PRP and 1 mL was sent to the laboratory for analysis. The remaining whole blood in each syringe was processed a second time with a yield of 5 mL of PRP with 1 mL sent to the laboratory. With this data, the Magellan was assessed in three phases. The first phase focused on the consistency of the Magellan. Laboratory values of hematocrit, platelet count, white blood cell count, and fibrinogen were compared between each syringe processed by the device. The second phase dealt with the percentage of platelets in the PRP that the Magellan was able to capture. Finally, results of both cycles were combined and compared against baseline values. Most of the hematological factors evaluated between each syringe were consistent in both cycles. The Magellan was able to capture nearly 70% of all platelets in the PRP of the first cycle and 18.5% in the second cycle. By mathematically combining both cycles, platelet counts averaged 2.8 times baseline with a 3.3 times baseline increase when the volume of the two cycles was weighted. This weighted average was done to reflect a higher concentration of Cycle 1 platelets than Cycle 2 in each sample. This study proved that processing each syringe of whole blood twice could reduce blood requirements while maintaining an effective platelet yield and volume. It also showed that the Magellan does conform to benchmark testing done at Medtronic.