According to scientists of Yonsei Sarang Hospital (Orthopaedic Surgery department) research, injecting mesenchymal stem cells along with high tibial osteotomy provides additional support in   cartilage regeneration among patients with knee osteoarthritis. High tibial osteotomy (HTO) used to treat knee osteoarthritis effectively via re-positioned the load line inside the knee joint. On the other hand, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) via cell-based tissue engineering system helps to repair articular cartilage of the knee.

Now, the question is what happens if both techniques combined to treat knee OA?

To find the answer, Yong Sang Kim and Yong Gon Koh evaluate radiological, second-look arthroscopic and clinical outcomes of HTO versus with or without MSC injections by conducting a cohort study. The study also involved the determination of a relationship between HTO and cartilage regeneration. A total of 270 patients who went through HTO from September 2009 to April 2014 were selected. A comparative matched-pair analysis based on age, lesion size and sex was conducted between the Conventional group (received treat with the only HTO) and Injection group (received HTO with MSC injection). The Posterior tibial slope and Femorotibial angle were used to measure radiological and Lysholm along with Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores for clinical outcomes. The International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) grade was used to measure cartilage regeneration during the second-look arthroscopic surgery.

Both groups exhibited improved mean Lysholm and IKDC scores at the time of second-look arthroscopic surgery. However, at final follow up only the injection group exhibited increased Lysholm and IKDC scores. The conventional and injection group presented a significantly different mean Lysholm and IKDC at the final follow-up. The injection group also exhibited better ICRS scores and an association of ICRS with clinical outcomes. Patients also showed improved radiological scores at final follow-up but showed no association with ICRS or clinical outcomes. As per findings, an injection of MSC appears to be very beneficial when given along with HTO approach.