10-year follow-up results of the prospective, double-blinded, randomized, controlled study on autologous bone marrow buffy coat grafting combined with core decompression in patients with avascular necrosis of the femoral head

Cellular therapies for bone repair: current insights

Mesenchymal stem cells are core to bone homeostasis and repair. They both provide the progenitor cells from which bone cells are formed and regulate the local cytokine environment to create a pro-osteogenic environment. Dysregulation of these cells is often seen in orthopaedic pathology and can be manipulated by the physician treating the patient. This narrative review aims to describe the common applications of cell therapies to bone healing whilst also suggesting the future direction of these techniques.

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Bone Repair of Human Hip Osteonecrosis with Bilateral Match-Control Evaluation: Impact of Tissue Source, Cell Count, Disease Stage, and Volume Size on 908 Hips

We investigated the impact of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy on treating bilateral human hip osteonecrosis, analyzing 908 cases. This study assesses factors such as tissue source and cell count, comparing core decompression with various cell therapies. This research emphasizes bone repair according to pre-treatment conditions and the specificities of cell therapy in osteonecrosis repair, indicating a potential for improved bone repair strategies in hips without femoral head collapse. This study utilized a single-center retrospective analysis to investigate the efficacy of cellular approaches in the bone repair of osteonecrosis. It examined the impact on bone repair of tissue source (autologous bone marrow concentrate, allogeneic expanded, autologous expanded), cell quantity (from none in core decompression alone to millions in cell therapy), and osteonecrosis stage and volume. Excluding hips with femoral head collapse, it focused on patients who had bilateral hip osteonecrosis, both pre-operative and post-operative MRIs, and a follow-up of over five years. The analysis divided these patients into seven groups based on match control treatment variations in bilateral hip osteonecrosis, primarily investigating the outcomes between core decompression, washing effect, and different tissue sources of MSCs. Younger patients (<30 years) demonstrated significantly better repair volumes, particularly in stage II lesions, than older counterparts. Additionally, bone repair volume increased with the number of implanted MSCs up to 1,000,000, beyond which no additional benefits were observed. No significant difference was observed in repair outcomes between different sources of MSCs (BMAC, allogenic, or expanded cells). The study also highlighted that a 'washing effect' was beneficial, particularly for larger-volume osteonecrosis when combined with core decompression. Partial bone repair was the more frequent event observed, while total bone repair of osteonecrosis was rare. The volume and stage of osteonecrosis, alongside the number of injected cells, significantly affected treatment outcomes. In summary, this study provides comprehensive insights into the effectiveness and variables influencing the use of mesenchymal stem cells in treating human hip osteonecrosis. It emphasizes the potential of cell therapy while acknowledging the complexity and variability of results based on factors such as age, cell count, and disease stage.

Investigational regenerative medicine for non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head: a survey of registered clinical trials

INTRODUCTION

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a refractory disease requiring joint replacement in young patients. Regenerative therapies have been developed.

AREAS COVERED

This study surveyed clinical trials on regenerative medicine for ONFH. We extracted clinical trials on non-traumatic ONFH from the websites of five publicly available major registries (EuropeanUnion Clinical Trials Register ([EU-CTR],ClinicalTrials.gov, Chinese ClinicalTrial Registry [ChiCTR], University Hospital Medical InformationNetwork - Clinical Trial Registry [UMIN-CTR] and Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry [ANZCTR]).The trials were classified into six categories based on purpose: surgical treatment, non-drug conservative treatment, conservative drug treatment, therapeutic strategy, diagnosis and pathogenesis, and regenerative therapy.) We extracted 169 clinical trials on ONFH. Of these, 37 were on regenerative medicine, including 29 on cell therapy. Surgical treatment was the most common treatment, followed by regenerative therapy.There were 9 clinical trials registered in the EU-CTR, with 5 on regenerative medicine; 79 trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, with 24 on regenerativemedicine; 54 trials registered in the ChiCTR, with 6 on regenerative medicine.

EXPERT OPINION

The focus of the joint-preserving surgery has shifted to regenerative therapy based on using cell therapy in early-stage ONFH. The global standardisation of regenerative therapy is still ongoing.

Regenerative therapies for femoral head necrosis in the past two decades: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Regenerative techniques combined with core decompression (CD) are commonly used to treat osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). However, no consensus exists on regeneration therapy combined with CD that performs optimally. Therefore, we evaluated six regenerative therapies combined with CD treatment using a Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA).

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases. Six common regeneration techniques were categorized into the following groups with CD as the control group: (1) autologous bone graft (ABG), (2) autologous bone graft combined with bone marrow aspirate concentrate (ABG + BMAC), (3) bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC), (4) free vascular autologous bone graft (FVBG), (5) expanded mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and (6) platelet-rich plasma (PRP). The conversion rate to total hip arthroplasty (THA) and progression rate to femoral head necrosis were compared among the six treatments.

RESULT

A total of 17 literature were included in this study. In the NMA, two of the six treatment strategies demonstrated higher response in preventing the progression of ONFH than CD: MSCs (odds ratio [OR]: 0.098, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.0087-0.87) and BMAC (OR: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.073-0.73). Additionally, two of the six treatment strategies were effective techniques in preventing the conversion of ONFH to THA: MSCs (OR: 0.062, 95% CI: 0.0038-0.40) and BMAC (OR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.1-0.074). No significant difference was found among FVBG, PRP, ABG + BMAC, ABG, and CD in preventing ONFH progression and conversion to THA (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our NMA found that MSCs and BMAC were effective in preventing ONFH progression and conversion to THA among the six regenerative therapies. According to the surface under the cumulative ranking value, MSCs ranked first, followed by BMAC. Additionally, based on our NMA results, MSCs and BMAC following CD may be necessary to prevent ONFH progression and conversion to THA. Therefore, these findings provide evidence for the use of regenerative therapy for ONFH.

Comparative analysis of surgical interventions for osteonecrosis of the femoral head: a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Despite several surgical options, there remains no consensus regarding the optimal approach for osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH), a prevalent and refractory disease. To determine the most suitable treatment modality, we compared randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated multiple surgical treatments for ONFH using a Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA).

METHODS

The outcomes of 11 different surgical treatments were assessed using NMA comparisons of the rate of progression of femoral head necrosis, the rate of conversion to total hip arthroplasty, and improvement of the Harris hip score (HHS). A random effects model was used to analyze the odds ratio (OR) or mean difference, and risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool for randomized trials. The confidence of the results was assessed using the confidence in network meta-analysis tool.

RESULTS

A total of 18 RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. Compared with core decompression (CD), the forest plot showed that autologous bone grafting (ABG), free fibula grafting (FFG), vascularized bone grafting (VBG), autologous bone grafting combined with bone marrow aspirate concentrate (ABG + BMAC), and biomaterial grafting combined with vascularized bone grafting (BMG + VBG) delayed ONFH progression. Among them, ABG + BMAC showed the most promising results (OR 0.019; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.0012-0.25). However, upon comparing CD with different surgical modalities, no significant differences were found in preventing total hip arthroplasty. Furthermore, we cannot draw conclusions regarding the HHS due to attribution and high heterogeneity across the studies.

CONCLUSION

Overall, ABG, VBG, FFG, ABG + BMAC, and BMG + VBG showed significant results in preventing ONFH progression compared with that shown by CD. Based on the surface under the cumulative ranking, ABG + BMAC was the most effective. Moreover, all treatments involving bone grafting were found to be effective, possibly indicating the necessity of its use in the treatment of ONFH.

Stem cell therapy combined with core decompression versus core decompression alone in the treatment of avascular necrosis of the femoral head: a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Accumulated clinical trials had been focused on stem cell therapy in combination of core decompression (CD) in the treatment of avascular necrosis of the femoral head (ANFH). Nonetheless, the results were inconclusive. Here, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of previous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and retrospective studies to assess whether combined stem cell augmentation with CD improved the outcomes of ANFH compared with CD alone.

METHODS

The current study included 11 RCTs and 7 retrospective studies reporting the clinical outcomes of a total of 916 patients and 1257 hips. 557 and 700 hips received CD and CD plus stem cell therapy, respectively. To compare CD with CD plus stem cell therapy, we examined the clinical evaluating scores, the occurrence of the femoral head, radiologic progression and conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA).

RESULTS

Only 10 studies reported significantly greater improvement in hip functions while combining stem cell procedure with CD. The pooled results in subgroup analysis indicated that stem cell group had a lower collapse rate on a mid-term basis (P = 0.001), when combined with mechanical support (P < 0.00001), and with extracted stem cells (P = 0.0002). Likewise, stem cell group had a lower radiographic progression rate at 2- to 5-year follow-up [P = 0.003], when combined with structural grafting (P < 0.00001), and with extracted stem cells (P = 0.004). Stem cell therapy resulted in an overall lower THA conversion rate (P < 0.0001) except that at a follow-up longer than 5 years.

CONCLUSION

Stem cell therapy combined with core decompression was more effective in preventing collapse, radiographic progression and conversion to THA. Trial Registration The current protocol has been registered in PROSPERO with the registration number: CRD42023417248.

Prognostic factors in the management of osteonecrosis of the femoral head: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Several hip preserving techniques have been described for the management of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). This systematic review identified prognostic factors in the treatment of ONFH that are associated with treatment failure and conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This study followed the PRISMA guidelines. The literature search was conducted in November 2021. All clinical trials comparing two or more treatments for femoral head osteonecrosis were accessed. A multivariate analysis was performed to investigate the association between baseline characteristics and the surgical outcome. A multiple linear model regression analysis through the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient (r) was used.

RESULTS

Data from 88 articles (6112 procedures) were retrieved. Female gender was associated with increased time to THA (P = 0.03) and reduced rate of THA (P = 0.03). Longer symptom duration before treatment was associated with shorter time to failure (P = 0.03). Increased pre-treatment VAS was associated with reduced time to failure (P = 0.03) and time to THA (P = 0.04). Reduced pre-treatment hip function was associated with increased rate of THA (P = 0.02) and failure (P = 0.005). Patient age and BMI, aetiology, time from surgery to full weight bearing and the side did not show evidence of a statistically significant association with the surgical outcome.

CONCLUSION

Male gender, longer symptom duration before treatment, higher VAS scores, and lower HHS scores were negative prognostic factors after treatment for osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

Comparison of current treatment strategy for osteonecrosis of the femoral head from the perspective of cell therapy

Aims: The purpose of our study is to compare the effects of core decompression (CD) and bone grafting (BG) on osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). And evaluate the efficacy of CD based on cell therapy to provide guidance for the dose and number of cells. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library between 2012 and 2022, with keywords including "osteonecrosis of the femoral head", "core decompression" and "bone grafting". We selected comparative studies of CD and BG, and the comparison of CD combined with bone marrow (BM) transplantation and CD alone. Changes in hip pain were assessed by VAS, hip function were assessed by HHS and WOMAC, and THA conversion rate was used as an evaluation tool for femoral head collapse. From these three aspects, the dose of bone marrow and the number of cells transplantation were subgroup analyzed. Results: Eleven studies were used to compare the efficacy of CD and BG. There was no significant difference in HHS, and the THA conversion rate of BG was significantly lower than that of CD. Thirteen CD studies based on cell therapy were included in the meta-analysis. Bone marrow aspiration concentrate (BMAC) can significantly improve VAS (mean difference (MD), 10.15; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 7.35 to 12.96, p < 0.00001) and reduce THA conversion rate (odds ratio (OR), 2.38; 95% CI 1.26 to 4.47, p = 0.007). Medium dose bone marrow fluid has a lower p-value in THA conversion rate. The p values of bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMC) of 10⁹ magnitude in VAS score were lower. Conclusion: In general, there is no consensus on the use of BG in the treatment of ONFH. The enhancement of cell-based CD procedure shows promising results. Using 20 mL BMAC and 10⁹ magnitude BMMC is likely to achieve better results.

Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head. Optimizing the Early-Stage Joint-Preserving Surgical Treatment?

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a debilitating condition with various etiologies. Comprehension of the pathophysiology of the disease is limited, adding to the challenge of devising a clinically effective treatment strategy. High clinical suspicion and magnetic resonance imaging aid early diagnosis, leading to less invasive and more effective treatment. Recent advancements in joint-preserving surgical treatment have led to improved outcomes, reduced pain, and a higher hip survival rate for early onset osteonecrosis of the femoral head compared with more invasive approaches such as total hip replacement. Core decompression is the gold standard procedure to relieve the ischemic area of the femoral head and is crucial in the early stage of osteonecrosis. The addition of biologic regenerative agents to core decompression is auspicious as they can introduce new cells to the area of necrosis, osteoinductive and osteoconductive agents, while enhancing healing and cellular repair. Adjunctive bone marrow-derived cell therapies have been advocated, potentially aiding the regenerative process. Arthroscopic core decompression and robot-assisted orthopaedic surgery are believed to improve the precision of graft placement, decreasing radiation and operative time. The current study provides a comprehensive review and update of the literature surrounding the latest developments regarding joint-preserving surgical treatment for patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

Operative Management of Avascular Necrosis of the Femoral Head in Skeletally Immature Patients: A Systematic Review

Purpose: Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is common in skeletally immature patients. The management of ONFH is controversial, with limited evidence and unpredictable results. This study systematically reviewed the current operative modalities and clinical outcomes of surgical management for ONFH in skeletally immature patients. Methods: The present study was conducted according to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase, and Web of Science databases were accessed in October 2021. All the published clinical studies reporting data concerning the surgical management of ONFH in skeletally immature patients were included. Results: This review included 122 patients (127 hips). 38.2% (46 of 122) were female. The mean age of the patients was 14.2 ± 2.3 years. The mean duration of the follow-up was 55.3 ± 19.6 months. The Harris Hip Score improved from 68.8 ± 11.9 at baseline to 90.5 ± 6.5 at last follow-up (p < 0.0001). Femoral head collapse and secondary hip degeneration were the most common complications. Conclusion: Several surgical techniques are available and effective for the management of ONFH in skeletally immature patients. This study evidenced high heterogeneity of the surgical procedures and eligibility criteria. Further high-quality investigations are required to establish proper indications and surgical modalities.

Lack of Conclusive Evidence of the Benefit of Biologic Augmentation in Core Decompression for Nontraumatic Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head: A Systematic Review

PURPOSE

To assess whether biologic augmentation in addition to core decompression (CD), compared with CD alone, improves clinical and radiographic outcomes in the treatment of nontraumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). Our hypothesis was that biologic augmentation would reduce the progression of osteonecrosis and therefore also the rate of conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA).

METHODS

A systematic review was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) statement. Six databases were searched: Central, MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, AMED, and Web of Science. Studies comparing outcomes of CD versus CD plus biologic augmentation (with or without structural augmentation), with a reported minimum level of evidence of III and ≥24 months of follow-up, were eligible. Procedural success was conceptualized as (1) avoidance of conversion to THA and (2) absence of radiographic disease progression. Risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklists. A quantitative analysis of heterogeneity was undertaken.

RESULTS

We included studies reporting on 560 hips in 484 patients. Biologic augmentation consisted of bone marrow stem cells in 10 studies, bone morphogenic protein in 2, and platelet-rich plasma in 1. Three studies used additional structural augmentation. The median maximum follow-up time was 45 months. Only 4 studies reported improvement in all clinical scores in the augmentation group. Seven studies observed a reduction in the rate of radiographic progression, and only 5 found reduced rates of conversion to THA when using augmentation. A high risk of bias and marked heterogeneity was found, with uncertainty about the study designs implemented, analytical approaches, and quality of reporting.

CONCLUSION

Current evidence is inconclusive regarding the benefit of biologic augmentation in CD for nontraumatic ONFH, because of inconsistent results with substantial heterogeneity and high risk of bias.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III, systematic review of level I, II, and III studies.

Efficacy of various core decompression techniques versus non-operative treatment for osteonecrosis of the femoral head: a systemic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background

Various Joint-preserving therapy (JPT) methods have been performed and tried in recent decades, but their results and efficacy were inconsistent and controversial. The purpose of this study is to evaluate its effectiveness and whether there are statistical differences in treatment between different interventions based on published RCT studies.

Methods

Following the PRISMA-NMA checklist, Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched and collected related RCT studies. The sources were searched from inception up to October 30, 2020. The primary outcomes including the rate of radiographic progression and conversion to THA and the secondary outcome -Harris Hip Scores (HHS) were extracted and compared in a Network meta-analysis.

Results

Seventeen RCT studies involving 784 patients (918 hips) with seven interventions including CD (core decompression), CD + BG (bone graft), CD + TI (tantalum rod implantation), CD + CT (Cell therapy), CD + BG + CT, VBG (vascularized bone graft), and nonsurgical or conservative treatment for ONFH were evaluated. In the radiographic progression results, CD + CT showed a relatively better result than CD, CD + BG and non-surgical treatment, the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) plot displayed that CD + CT (96.4%) was the best, followed by CD (64.1%).In conversion to THA results, there were no significant differences between the JPT methods and non-surgical treatment. In HHS, there was also no significant difference, other than CD + BG showed a statistical difference than non-surgical treatment only in terms of Cis, but the SUCRA was highest in non-surgical treatment (80.5%) followed by CD + CT (72.8%).

Conclusions

This Net-work meta-analysis demonstrated that there was no statistical difference in the outcome of radiographic progression and conversion to THA, also in HHS, other than CD + CT showed a relatively superior result in radiographic progression than nonsurgical treatment, namely, it’s maybe an effective method for delaying disease progression or reducing disease development based on current evidence.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12891-021-04808-2.

Combining autologous bone marrow buffy coat and angioconductive bioceramic rod grafting with advanced core decompression improves short-term outcomes in early avascular necrosis of the femoral head: a prospective, randomized, comparative study

Background

Treatment of avascular necrosis of the femoral head (ANFH) in young patients remains a clinical challenge. A current controversy is whether hip-preserving surgery results in better outcomes. The adverse effects of hip-preserving surgery are associated with the fill material for the necrotic areas. This study aims to evaluate the early effects of autologous bone marrow buffy coat (BBC) and angioconductive bioceramic rod (ABR) grafting with advanced core decompression (ACD) on early ANFH.

Methods

Forty-four (57 hips) patients with early ANFH from 2015 to 2020 were recruited for this study. They were randomized into two groups: group A received ACD, BBC, and ABR grafting; group B received treatment of ACD with β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) granules and ABR grafting. The outcomes were assessed using the Harris Hip Scores (HHS) and survival rate analysis. The follow-up endpoint was defined as conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA).

Results

Forty patients (51 hips) were ultimately included in this study for analysis. Compared with group B, patients in group A had higher postoperative function score (P = 0.032) and postoperative Harris Hip Scores (HHS) (P = 0.041). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a trend that the survivorship of the femoral head was higher in group A than in group B.

Conclusion

The short-term follow-up results showed that the autologous bone marrow buffy coat and angioconductive bioceramic rod grafting with advanced core decompression is effective in the treatment of early ANFH.

Trial registration

Chictr.org.cn, ChiCTR2000039595. Retrospectively registered on 11 February 2015.

Autologous bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cell therapy for osteonecrosis of femoral head: A systematic overview of overlapping meta-analyses

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVES

We performed this systematic overview on the overlapping meta-analyses that analyzed autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell(BM-MSC) therapy along with core decompression(CD) for the management of osteonecrosis of the femoral head(ONFH) and identify which study provides the current best evidence on the topic and generate recommendations for the same.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted independent and duplicate electronic database searches in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects till September 2020 for meta-analyses that analyzed the efficacy of BM-MSC therapy along with CD for ONFH. Methodological quality assessment was made using Oxford Levels of Evidence, AMSTAR scoring, and AMSTAR 2 grades. We then utilized the Jadad decision algorithm to identify the study with the highest quality to represent the current best evidence to generate the recommendation.

RESULTS

6 meta-analyses fulfilling the eligibility criteria were included. The AMSTAR scores of the included studies varied from 4 to 9 (mean:7) and all the included studies had critically low reliability in their summary of results due to their methodological flaws according to AMSTAR 2 grades. The current best evidence showed that utilization of BM-MSC therapy along with CD for ONFH resulted in significant improvement in Harris hip scores at 12 and 24 months along with a significant reduction in the necrotic area of the femoral head and the rate of conversion to total hip arthroplasty(THA) without a significant rise in adverse events due to the procedure.

CONCLUSION

Based on this systematic overview, we give a Level II recommendation that BM-MSC therapy is more efficacious along with CD in the management of ONFH compared to CD alone. BM-MSC therapy provides better pain relief with significant functional improvement and delaying the collapse of the femoral head thereby preventing further treatment such as THA.