Effects of the umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Relatively higher-quality human studies compared with other topics in this database, e.g. multiple RCTs or systematic reviews. This does not mean it is standard or approved care.

• 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)

Background This study aimed to evaluate the effects of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Methods PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang databases were searched from inception to March 31, 2024. RevMan 5.3 was used to conduct meta-analyses of the final included studies. Results Three randomized controlled studies were conducted. Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index was reduced in the UC-MSCs group compared that in to the control group (mean difference: -25.85; 95% confidence interval: -41.50, -10.20; P = .001). Knee Lysholm Score was improved in the UC-MSCs group compared with the control group (mean difference: 18.33; 95% confidence interval: 12.89, 23.77; P Conclusion Intra-articular injection of UC-MSCs improved function and reduced pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis. However, the number of included studies was small and more studies are needed to confirm this.

Evidence level

Relatively higher-quality human studies compared with other topics in this database, e.g. multiple RCTs or systematic reviews. This does not mean it is standard or approved care.

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