Intra-Articular Injection of Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Leading to Better Clinical Outcomes without Difference in MRI Outcomes from Baseline in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis.

Purpose: Bone marrow (BM) is frequently used as a source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) because they have a high potential for differentiation. However, it is unclear whether BM-derived MSCs lead to better clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) outcomes postoperatively. Materials and Methods: This meta-analysis compared the clinical and MRI outcomes in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) treated with BMderived MSCs. Eight studies comparing the clinical and MRI outcomes assessed with various measurement tools in patients with knee OA treated with BM-derived MSCs were included. Results: The range of motion (95% confidence interval [CI], -13.05 to 4.24; p=0.32) and MRI outcomes (95% CI, -0.16 to 1.40; p=0.12) did not differ significantly between the baseline and final follow-up. In contrast, pain (95% CI, 0.89 to 1.87; p<0.001) and functional outcomes (95% CI, 0.70 to 2.07; p<0.001) were significantly improved at the final follow-up when compared to the baseline. Conclusions: This meta-analysis found no significant difference in the tested range of motion and MRI outcomes between the baseline and the final follow-up in patients treated with BM-derived MSCs, whereas significant functional improvement and pain relief were noted when compared with the baseline. Thus, BM-derived MSCs appear to be a viable alternative for patients with knee OA, although long-term and high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm the clinical benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]