Mesenchymal stem cells are currently a research focus because of the possibility of cartilage regeneration through several mechanisms, including mesenchymal stem cell sheets. However, there are no published reports visualizing cartilage in three dimensions. Here, we report a case of improved cartilage volume. We purified and cultured adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells and then performed adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell therapy by directly injecting these cells into the articular cartilage. Cartilage was quantitatively evaluated before and after injection using three-dimensional image analysis software based on the magnetic resonance imaging.
The patient, a 55-year-old Japanese woman, experienced pain in both knees and was diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knee. We performed adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell therapy in both knees at our hospital and quantitatively evaluated cartilage before and after the treatment using the three-dimensional image analysis software "SYNAPSE VINCENT".
Preoperatively, the cartilage defect area was 33.59 mm