Vinet-Jones, Heather and Darr, Kevin F
Submitted to the Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (June 2020)
SUMMARY
The combination of autologous bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC), fat graft, and platelet rich plasma (PRP), which we have defined as Combined Cellular Therapy (CCT), was utilized in the treatment of pain and functional deficits associated with osteoarthritis of the knee. This treatment has successfully modulated both pain and functional deficits associated with OA. 96 study subjects ages 38-90 with a total of 140 knees with a clinical diagnosis of mild (n=34), moderate (n=58), and severe (n=48) OA of the knee with no other complicating clinical diagnosis who completed follow ups at 6, 18, 52, and 104 week intervals were included in the study and received CCT injection(s) to one or both affected knees. Quantitative analysis of pain and function modalities were performed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome (KOOS) Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) respectively. Results of analysis showed that all study participants reported significant improvement (p<0.001) from baseline in VAS and WOMAC in mild to severe knee OA cases at 6 and 18 week follow ups, and also at yearly follow ups with mild and moderate
OA. Severe OA had a return of some functional deficits as well as some return of pain but still significant improvement from baseline (p<0.001). Study results reveal that the use of CCT in mild to severe OA knee cases results in clinically significant improvement in both pain and functional scales, signifying cellular therapy as an orthopedic modality for the treatment of knee OA.