Published online Jul 18, 2015. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v6.i6.462
Peer-review started: February 9, 2015
First decision: April 10, 2015
Revised: May 7, 2015
Accepted: May 27, 2015
Article in press: May 28, 2015
Published online: July 18, 2015
Processing time: 155 Days and 20.9 Hours
There is a considerable amount of interest in the future role of bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMDSCs) and tissue engineering techniques to manage conditions within the musculoskeletal system. Repair of soft tissue and bone defects, in the early stages of injury, may lead to a reduction in progression of symptoms. Furthermore, troublesome soft tissue injuries that are notoriously fraught with problems either in healing or function, could be augmented with such techniques. The aim of this review paper is to look at the advances in such strategies to tackle these problems and assess how BMDSCs, with the aid of growth factors and scaffolds, are being used in vitro, animal and even human models to treat problems within the field of trauma and orthopaedics. There is plenty of evidence that the results are encouraging and thus gaining momentum toward their use in human studies.
Core tip: Tissue engineering techniques using bone marrow-derived stem cells is an attractive, promising and growing area of research within the field of trauma and orthopaedics. There are plenty of in vitro and animal studies showing the benefits of such treatments with a slow and steady growth of human in vivo studies emerging.