Introduction
Knee osteoarthritis (knee OA) is characterised by joint space narrowing, osteophyte formation, and subchondral sclerosis and manifests primarily as joint pain(1), resulting in the physical disability of patients. Around 40% of people over 70 years of age suffer from this condition(2). Knee OA in particular is a major cause of morbidity and is the primary diagnostic indication for total knee replacement(3), the volume of which continues to grow unabated globally. However, the procedure is a major operation and may pose several complications(4). Recently, scientific evidence has strongly demonstrated that novel treatments can modify or change the disease progression of knee OA(5-8). One potential strategy in osteoarthritis treatment is stem cell based therapy. The fundamental knowledge of stem cells is very important prior to translating this technology into clinical practice. Thus, the objectives of this review are to describe stem cells, including bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and to summarise the recent evidence from animal to clinical studies in stem cell based approaches in treating knee osteoarthritis.
Read More