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Background: Intra-articular injection of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) has shown promise for improving symptoms and cartilage quality in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). However, while most preclinical studies have been performed with plastic-adherent ASCs, most clinical trials are being conducted with the stromal vascular fraction (SVF), prepared from adipose tissue without prior culture. Purpose: To directly compare clinical outcomes of intra-articular injection with ASCs or SVF in patients with knee OA. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: The authors retrospectively compared 6-month outcomes in 42 patients (59 knees) receiving intra-articular injection with 12.75 million ASCs and 38 patients (69 knees) receiving a 5-mL preparation of SVF. All patients had Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2, 3, or 4 knee OA and had failed standard medical therapy. The visual analog scale (VAS) pain score and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) at baseline and 1, 3, and 6 months after injection were considered as outcomes. Outcome Measures in Rheumatology–Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OMERACT-OARSI) criteria were also used to assess positive response. A repeated measures analysis of variance was used for comparison between the treatment groups. Results: No major complications occurred in either group. The SVF group had a higher frequency of knee effusion (SVF 8%, ASC 2%) and minor complications related to the fat harvest site (SVF 34%, ASC 5%). Both groups reported improvements in pain VAS and KOOS domains. Specifically, in the ASC group, symptoms improved earlier (by 3 months; P < .05) and pain VAS decreased to a greater degree (55%; P < .05) compared with the SVF group (44%). The proportion of OMERACT-OARSI responders in the ASC group was slightly higher (ASCs, 61%; SVF, 55%; P = .25). Conclusion: It was observed that both ASCs and SVF resulted in clinical improvement in patients with knee OA, but that ASCs outperform SVF in the early reduction of symptoms and pain with less comorbidity.

The management of osteoarthritis (OA) remains challenging and controversial. Although several clinical options exist for the treatment of OA, regeneration of the damaged articular cartilage has proved difficult due to the limited healing capacity. With the advancements in tissue engineering and cell-based technologies over the past decade, new therapeutic options for patients with osteochondral lesions potentially exist. This review will focus on the feasibility of tissue-engineered biphasic scaffolds, which can mimic the native osteochondral complex, for osteochondral repair and highlight the recent development of these techniques toward tissue regeneration. Moreover, basic anatomy, strategy for osteochondral repair, the design and fabrication methods of scaffolds, as well as the choice of cells, growth factor, and materials will be discussed. Specifically, we focus on the latest preclinical animal studies using large animals and clinical trials with high clinical relevance. In turn, this will facilitate an understanding of the latest trends in osteochondral repair and contribute to the future application of such clinical therapies in patients with OA.

Autologous scaffold-free TEC derived from synovial MSCs may be used for regenerative cartilage repair via a sutureless and simple implantation procedure. Registration: 000008266 (UMIN Clinical Trials Registry number).

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