MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS

Recent research in cartilage repair has been moving towards the possibility of performing a one-step surgical procedure. The idea is to reduce the complexities and the excessive cost involved in two step cartilage repair procedure, as well as to develop a technique that can repair cartilage with durable hyaline-like tissue.

We utilize bone marrow aspirate concentrated cells (BMAC), which contain multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and growth factors (GF) to regenerate cartilage tissue with favorable clinical and radiographic findings. MSCs have a high proliferation and differentiation potential into chondrogenic cells: once MSCs are cultured in the appropriate microenvironment, they can differentiate to chondrocytes and form cartilage. This property of MSCs is utilized to regenerate chondrocytes and fill the defects on articular surface with BMAC surgery.

What is BMAC surgery?

This is minimally invasive procedure whereby mesenchymal stem cells are collected from the Autologous bone marrow concentrate (BMAC) harvested from iliac crest and implanted into the cartilage damaged articular surface of the joint, after a specific process of concentration by a centrifuge. This would allow cell growth and cartilage repair to occur producing new, durable cartilage.

BMAC PREPARATION VIDEO LINK

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YguBIpnn9W0

Our new research work on BMAC surgery published online in Cartilage Journal 2014