Morbidity of graft harvesting vs bone marrow aspiration in cell regenerative therapy. Int Orthop. 2014;38:1855-1860. [PMID: 24658874 DOI: 10.1007/s00264-014-2318-x]

Autologous tendon-derived cell-seeded nanofibrous scaffolds improve rotator cuff repair in an age-dependent fashion

Rotator cuff tendon tears are one of the most common shoulder pathologies, especially in the aging population. Due to a poor healing response and degenerative changes associated with aging, rotator cuff repair failure remains common. Although cell-based therapies to augment rotator cuff repair appear promising, it is unknown whether the success of such a therapy is age-dependent. We hypothesized that autologous cell therapy would improve tendon-to-bone healing across age groups, with autologous juvenile cells realizing the greatest benefit. In this study, juvenile, adult, and aged rats underwent bilateral supraspinatus tendon repair with augmentation of one shoulder with autologous tendon-derived cell-seeded polycaprolactone scaffolds. At 8 weeks, shoulders treated with cells in both juvenile and aged animals exhibited increased cellularity, increased collagen organization, and improved mechanical properties. No changes between treated and control limbs were seen in adult rats. These findings suggest that cell delivery during supraspinatus repair initiates earlier matrix remodeling in juvenile and aged animals. This may be due to the relative "equilibrium" of adult tendon tissue with regards to catabolic and anabolic processes, contrasted with actively growing juvenile tendons and degenerative aged tendons. This study demonstrates the potential for autologous cell-seeded scaffolds to improve repairs in both the juvenile and aged population. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 35:1250-1257, 2017.

In Vitro Testing of Scaffolds for Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Based Meniscus Tissue Engineering-Introducing a New Biocompatibility Scoring System

A combination of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and scaffolds seems to be a promising approach for meniscus repair. To facilitate the search for an appropriate scaffold material a reliable and objective in vitro testing system is essential. This paper introduces a new scoring for this purpose and analyzes a hyaluronic acid (HA) gelatin composite scaffold and a polyurethane scaffold in combination with MSCs for tissue engineering of meniscus. The pore quality and interconnectivity of pores of a HA gelatin composite scaffold and a polyurethane scaffold were analyzed by surface photography and Berliner-Blau-BSA-solution vacuum filling. Further the two scaffold materials were vacuum-filled with human MSCs and analyzed by histology and immunohistochemistry after 21 days in chondrogenic media to determine cell distribution and cell survival as well as proteoglycan production, collagen type I and II content. The polyurethane scaffold showed better results than the hyaluronic acid gelatin composite scaffold, with signs of central necrosis in the HA gelatin composite scaffolds. The polyurethane scaffold showed good porosity, excellent pore interconnectivity, good cell distribution and cell survival, as well as an extensive content of proteoglycans and collagen type II. The polyurethane scaffold seems to be a promising biomaterial for a mesenchymal stem cell-based tissue engineering approach for meniscal repair. The new score could be applied as a new standard for in vitro scaffold testing.

Can bone marrow aspirate concentrate change the mineralization pattern of the anterior maxilla treated with xenografts? A preliminary study

Objective:

To evaluate bony reconstruction of the atrophic anterior maxilla using particulate grafts with or without autologous bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC).

Materials and Methods:

Eight patients with atrophy of the anterior maxilla due to teeth loss were selected and split into groups according to the type of material used: Control Group (CG) (n = 4) - particulate xenograft only and Test Group (TG) (n = 4) - a combination of particulate xenograft and BMAC. Both groups received a collagen membrane to cover the xenograft. After 4 months, during implant placement, a sample of bone was removed from the graft area using a 2 mm diameter trephine bur. The specimens were fixed and preserved for histomorphometric evaluation, which included the following parameters: Mineralized tissue (MT) and non-MT (NMT). Cone beam computed tomography was performed at 3 time intervals to measure bone thickness: (1) Before grafting, (2) 4 months and (3) 8 months postgrafting, using localized bone gain (mm) as the outcome variable.

Results:

Tomographic analysis revealed bone gain in CG of 3.78 ± 1.35 mm and 4.34 ± 1.58 mm at 4 and 8 months, respectively. TG showed an increase of 3.79 ± 0.52 mm and 4.09 ± 1.33 mm after 4 and 8 months, respectively. Histomorphometric analysis revealed that, for CG, MT- and NMT-related values were 52.3% ± 16.78% and 47.70% ± 5.55%, respectively, whereas for TG, they were 65.04% ± 20.98% and 34.96 ± 10.38, respectively.

Conclusion:

Although radiographic bone gain appeared similar between the groups, the use of BMAC obtained via the BMAC^® method revealed an increased mineralization trend in the anterior maxilla. It must be highlighted, however, that this is a preliminary study with a relatively small sample population and further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to verify these results.

Natural hydroxyapatite as a bone graft extender for posterolateral spine arthrodesis

PURPOSE

The aim of this retrospective analysis of spinal fusion, was to document the clinical, functional, and radiological outcomes with a local bone graft plus the highly osteoconductive hydroxyapatite, bio-derived Orthoss®, with or without bone marrow aspirate.

METHODS

Forty seven patients submitted to spinal posterolateral fusion were operated for four major indications: scoliosis in young patients (11), degenerative spine (18), lumbosacral transitional anomalies in young adults (14), and spine trauma (four). Sixteen patients had more than four levels fused. In addition to spinal decompression and instrumented fusion, autologous bone grafts from the excised lamina were augmented with Orthoss® granules in a 1:1 ratio. In addition iliac crest bone marrow aspirate was used in 70 % of the patients. The results were assessed clinically in terms of pain, and return to school or professional activities were checked at three, six, and 12 months following surgery with a mean follow-up of 20 months. In scoliotic patients, correction of the major angle was evaluated from one to four years after surgery.

RESULTS

Pain persistence was reported only in four cases, after three months after surgery. A functional recovery was noted in almost all patients groups within these three months. Progressive bone formation with evidence of bone fusion masses were already observed at six months. No fusion failure was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Local bone enhanced by an osteoconductive long-term stable scaffold, used with and without bone marrow aspirate, led to successful fusion in all patients by six months while functional recovery was reported already within three to six months.

Local transplantation of bone marrow concentrated granulocytes precursors can cure without antibiotics infected nonunion of polytraumatic patients in absence of bone defect

PURPOSE

Infected, long bone non-unions present a significant clinical challenge. New and alternative therapies are needed to address this problem. The purposes of this study were to compare the number of circulating granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming units (CFU-GM) in the peripheral blood of polytraumatic patients with infected tibial non-unions and in the peripheral blood of control patients with the hypothesis that their number was decreased in polytraumatic patients; and to treat their infection without antibiotics and with local transplantation of bone marrow concentrated granulocytes precursors.

METHODS

Thirty (18 atrophic and 12 hyperthrophic ) infected tibial non-unions (without bone defect) that occurred after open fractures in polytraumatic patients were treated without antibiotics and with percutaneous injection of autologous bone marrow concentrate (BMC) containing granulocytes precursors (CFU-GM). CFU-GM progenitors were assessed in the bone marrow aspirate, peripheral blood, and fracture site of these patients. The number of these progenitors was compared with the CFU-GM progenitors of control patient samples (healthy donors matched for age and gender). Outcome measures were: timing of union, callus formation (radiographs and CT scan), and recurrence of clinical infection.

RESULTS

As compared to control patients, the number of CFU GM derived colonies was lower at peripheral blood in patients with infected nonunions. The bone marrow graft injected in nonunions contained after concentration 42 621 ± 20 350 CFU-GM-derived colonies/cc. Healing and cure of infection was observed at six months for 25 patients and at one year follow up for 30 patients. At the median ten year follow-up (range: 5 to 15), only one patient had clinical recurrent infection after healing (between 6 months and last follow-up).

CONCLUSION

The peripheral blood of these polytraumatic patients with infected nonunions had a remarkable decrease in CFU-GM-derived colonies as compared with normal controls. Local transplantation of concentrated CFU-GM-derived colonies aspirated from bone marrow allowed cure of infection and healing without antibiotics.

Regenerative Engineering of Cartilage Using Adipose-Derived Stem Cells

Injury to the articular cartilage occurs commonly in the general population and undergoes minimal spontaneous healing. Traditional methods of cartilage repair provide no long-term cure and are significant causes of morbidity. For this reason, stem cell therapies have recently been investigated for their ability to regenerate cartilage, and the results have been promising. Since the discovery that adipose tissue is a major source of mesenchymal stem cells in 2001, scientists have been studying the use of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) for the treatment of various disorders including lesions of the articular cartilage. ASCs hold several advantages over autologous chondrocytes for cartilage repair, including but not limited to their anti-inflammatory effects, their multi-lineage differentiation potential, and their ability to form new cartilage in a defect. Whereas several investigations have been made in in vitro and animal models, there have been surprisingly little clinical studies on the intra-articular use of adipose-derived stem cells, despite their first isolation about a decade and a half ago. The few studies that have been conducted are encouraging. With approval for various stem cell therapies on the horizon, this review seeks to update the clinician and the researcher on the current state-of-the-art use of adipose-derived stem cells for the treatment of cartilage disorders and the regenerative engineering of cartilaginous tissue.

Regenerative treatment in osteochondral lesions of the talus: autologous chondrocyte implantation versus one-step bone marrow derived cells transplantation

PURPOSE

Osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT) usually require surgical treatment. Regenerative techniques for hyaline cartilage restoration, like autologous chondrocytes implantation (ACI) or bone marrow derived cells transplantation (BMDCT), should be preferred. The aim of this work is comparing two clusters with OLT, treated with ACI or BMDCT.

METHODS

Eighty patients were treated with regenerative techniques, 40 with ACI and 40 with BMDCT. The two groups were homogenous regarding age, lesion size and depth, previous surgeries, etiology of the lesion, subchondral bone graft, final follow-up and pre-operative AOFAS score. The two procedures were performed arthroscopically. The scaffold was a hyaluronic acid membrane in all the cases, loaded with previously cultured chondrocytes (ACI) or with bone marrow concentrated cells, harvested in the same surgical session (BMDCT). All the patients were clinically and radiologically evaluated, using MRI Mocart score and T2 mapping sequence.

RESULTS

Clinical results were similar in both groups at 48 months. No statistically significant influence was reported after evaluation of all the pre-operative parameters. The rate of return to sport activity showed slightly better results for BMDCT than ACI. MRI Mocart score was similar in both groups. MRI T2 mapping evaluation highlighted a higher presence of hyaline like values in the BMDCT group, and lower incidence of fibrocartilage as well.

CONCLUSIONS

To date, ACI and BMDCT showed to be effective regenerative techniques for the treatment of OLT. BMDCT could be preferred over ACI for the single step procedure, patients' discomfort and lower costs.

Understanding bone safety zones during bone marrow aspiration from the iliac crest: the sector rule

PURPOSE

Should the trocar suddenly lose contact with bone during bone marrow aspiration, it may result in visceral injury. The anatomy of the ilium and the structures adjacent to the iliac bone were studied to determine the danger of breach by a trocar introduced into the iliac crest.

METHODS

The authors followed two series of patients, one series to do measurements of distance and angles of the structures at risk to the iliac bone and the other to evaluate the risk of a trocar being directed outside the iliac wing during bone marrow aspiration. The authors also examined 24 pelvices by computed tomography (CT) scans of mature adults (48 iliac crests). Lines dividing the iliac wing into six equal sectors were used to form sectors (e.g. sector 1 anterior, sector 6 posterior). Vascular or neurological structures were considered at risk if they were accessible to the tip of a 10-cm trocar introduced into the iliac crest with a possible deviation of 20° from the plane of the iliac wing on the three-dimensional reconstruction. The authors tracked bone marrow aspiration of six different surgeons and calculated among 120 patients (480 entry points) the number of times the needle lost contact with bone in each sector of aspiration.

RESULTS

The sector system reliably predicted safe and unsafe areas for trocar placement. Among the 480 entry points in the 120 patients, 94 breaches were observed and higher risks were observed in the thinner sectors. The risk was also higher in obese patients and the risk decreased with more experienced surgeons. The trocar could reach the external iliac artery on pelvic CT scans in the four most anterior sectors with a higher frequency in women. Posterior sectors were at risk for sciatic nerve and gluteal vessel damage when the trocar was pushed deeper than 6 cm into the posterior iliac crest. In cadavers, the dissection demonstrated nine vascular or neurological lesions.

CONCLUSIONS

Using the sector system, trocars can be directed away from neural and vascular structures and toward zones that are likely to contain larger bone marrow stock.