Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Treatments and Available Formulations
This article reviews the current literature surrounding the use of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) in the management of various orthopedic diseases. ADSCs have gained attention due to their potential for expediting healing and the ease of delivery to patients; clinical evidence, including information on optimal method of delivery and long-term outcomes, remains limited. This review article concludes that evidence from recent clinical studies suggest the potential use of ADSCs in select musculoskeletal pathologies, including rotator cuff and Achilles tendinopathies, knee and hip osteoarthritis and focal defects of the knee and talus (large bone in the ankle). However, the authors also report that current studies are limited by the use of other therapeutic biologics in combination with ADSCs. To add, the benefits of ADSCs has been consistently demonstrated in animal models, but that is not the case for human studies. Further studies on this topic are, thus, needed.
