Stem Cells in Osteoarthritis after Meniscectomy
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common condition that can cause cartilage degeneration and require surgical intervention. One such intervention is a meniscectomy if a meniscal tear is present. This study seeks to understand the influence of stem cells in combination with meniscectomy as treatment for symptomatic meniscal tears in patients with OA. This will be done via the comparison of clinical outcomes in patients undergoing meniscectomy without stem cells versus patients undergoing meniscectomy with stem cells. As a randomized control clinical trial, 50% of patients receive the stem cell injection and 50% do not; patients are blinded as to which group they are enrolled.
For patients receiving the injection, bone marrow aspirate will be drawn pelvic bone during surgery, spun down to concentrate the stem cells, and subsequently injected into the knee. Patients not receiving the injection will be “blinded” by receiving a small needle stick in the same area to mimic the bone marrow aspirate draw. In addition to patient reported clinical outcomes, synovial fluid is drawn from the knee during surgery as well as at several follow-up points in order to analyze the presence of inflammatory markers.
