Autologous adipose stem cell therapy for knee osteoarthritis: where are we now?

Several human studies show positive signals, while research methods and sample sizes continue to develop.

• 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)

Introduction : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of adipose-derived stem cell (ADSC) or stromal vascular fraction (SVF) injections for knee osteoarthritis (OA) treatment by analyzing all randomized controlled trials dealing with this topic. Materials and methods : The following search terms were used in PUBMED, EMBASE, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library Database on 14 November 2019: 'adipose derived stem cell' OR 'stromal vascular fraction' OR 'SVF' OR 'multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells' OR 'stem cell' OR 'derived stem cell' OR 'autologous' AND 'knee' OR 'osteoarthritis' OR 'chondral defect' OR 'randomized' OR 'controlled trial.' No time limit was given to publication date. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) based on the following criteria: (1) English studies; (2) patient population diagnosed with knee OA and treated with ADSCs or SVF injections; (3) comparison group treated with placebo, surgery, or adjuvant injections, such as platelet rich-plasma or hyaluronic acid. Results : Intra-articular injections of adipose stem cell therapy in the form of ADSC or SVF is a safe procedure for the treatment of knee OA, with good clinical and radiological outcomes in the early follow-up period (12-24 months). In addition, treatment with fat-derived cells showed a very low complication rate (16.15%) of which all were considered to be minor. C

Evidence level

Several human studies show positive signals, while research methods and sample sizes continue to develop.

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