Second-look arthroscopic findings of cartilage and meniscus repair after injection of adipose-derived regenerative cells in knee osteoarthrits: Report of two cases

Abstract

Background The purpose of this study was to use second-look arthroscopic findings and clinical assessment to determine outcome in two cases of knee osteoarthritis treated by intra-articular knee injection of adipose-derived regenerative cells (ADRCs). Case presentation This study involved two patients who received ADRC therapy for knee osteoarthritis and completed the six-month post-treatment follow-up period. For each treatment, 130 mL of subcutaneous adipose tissue was harvested using tumescent liposuction technique and manual aspiration of tissue from the thigh using a suction cannula under local anesthesia in the operating room. The adipose tissue harvested was processed using the Celution® Centrifuge in a dedicated cell processing room. The ADRCs were injected into the articular cavity of both knees for one patient and into a single affected knee in the second patient (three joints). Pain and knee function were assessed using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Knee Outcome in Osteoarthritis Score (KOOS) respectively. The cartilage defect was assessed by direct visualization (arthroscopy). No serious adverse events were reported throughout follow-up. Pain and knee function were significantly improved from baseline in all treated knees at one, three and six months after ADRCs. At six-months after ADRCs treatment, the second-look arthroscopy showed that almost all the cartilage defect areas were covered by regenerated cartilage, some cartilage fibrillation area was reduced, and meniscus tear areas were repaired. Conclusions Cartilage and meniscus repair were observed six-months after ADRCs therapy under second-look arthroscopy. It was shown that a single administration of ADRCs might be effective as a treatment for knee osteoarthritis.

Attenuation of Knee Osteoarthritis Progression in Mice through Polarization of M2 Macrophages by Intra-Articular Transplantation of Non-Cultured Human Adipose-Derived Regenerative Cells

“…Previous clinical studies have shown that implantation of ADRCs could be useful in the treatment of chronic ulcers of the lower limbs [ 11 ], ischemic cardiomyopathy [ 12 ], fat grafting [ 13 ], and limb ischemia [ 14 ]. Moreover, the therapeutic effects of injected non-cultured adipose-derived SVF for treating OA have been investigated in clinical trials, and an improvement in OA symptoms was reported [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. While the inhibitory effects of the intra-articular injection of non-cultured adipose-derived SVF on OA progression were suggested in some animal studies [ 19 , 20 ], the effects of human SVF on OA progression and its mechanisms have not been fully elucidated.…”

The Meniscus Tear: A Review of Stem Cell Therapies

“…A recent paper by Onoi et al [111] reported second-look knee arthroscopy findings in two patients after ASC injections. However, only one of the treated patients had a second-look arthroscopy.…”

Demineralized Cortical Bone Matrix Augmented With Peripheral Blood-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Rabbit Medial Meniscal Reconstruction

“…MSCs have been widely used as seed cells in meniscus tissue engineering. The repair effect of bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs), synovium-derived MSCs (S-MSCs), and adipose-derived MSCs (A-MSCs) have been proved by plenty of studies ( Zellner et al, 2017 ; Onoi et al, 2019 ; Ozeki et al, 2021 ). However, problems such as difficulty obtaining and pain in the donor site may affect their clinical application.…”