Arthroscopic Treatment of a Subchondral Bone Cyst via Stem Cells Application: A Case Study in Equine Model and Outcomes.

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Subchondral bone cysts in horses represent one of the main causes of lameness that can occur in different anatomical locations. The study describes the treatment in regenerative therapy of the intracystic implantation of adipose tissue mesenchymal stromal cells (AMSCs) included in platelet-rich plasma (PRP). The ability of AMSCs to differentiate in osteogenic cells was tested in vitro and in vivo. Given the aim to investigate the application of AMSCs in bone defects and orthopedic pathologies in horses, a four-year-old male thoroughbred racing horse that had never raced before was treated for lameness of the left hind leg caused by a cyst of the medial femoral condyle. The horse underwent a new surgery performed with an arthroscopic approach in which the cystic cavity was filled with AMSCs contained in the PRP. Radiographs were taken 3, 5, and 10 months after the surgery to assess the development of newly regenerated bone tissue in the gap left by the cyst. Twelve months after the operation and after six months of regular daily training, the horse did not show any symptoms of lameness and started a racing career. According to the study, the use of AMSCs and PRP suggests promising benefits for treating subchondral bone cysts.

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

Browse all related research

Filter the research library by this study's title keywords, author, or publication year.