Nallakumarasamy A, Shrivastava S, Rangarajan RV, Jeyaraman N, Devadas AG, Ramasubramanian S, Jeyaraman M. Optimizing bone marrow harvesting sites for enhanced mesenchymal stem cell yield and efficacy in knee osteoarthritis treatment. World J Methodol 2025; 15(2): 101458 [DOI: 10.5662/wjm.v15.i2.101458]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Madhan Jeyaraman, MS, PhD, Assistant Professor, Research Associate, Department of Orthopaedics, ACS Medical College and Hospital, Dr MGR Educational and Research Institute, Periyar EVR High Road (NH 4 Highway), Chennai 600077, Tamil Nadu, India. madhanjeyaraman@gmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Arulkumar Nallakumarasamy, Sandeep Shrivastava, Naveen Jeyaraman, Department of Orthopaedics, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Wardha 442004, Maharashtra, India
Arulkumar Nallakumarasamy, Ravi Velamoor Rangarajan, Naveen Jeyaraman, Avinash Gandi Devadas, Madhan Jeyaraman, Department of Regenerative Medicine, Mother Cell Regenerative Centre, Tiruchirappalli 620017, Tamil Nadu, India
Swaminathan Ramasubramanian, Department of Orthopaedics, Government Medical College, Omandurar Government Estate, Chennai 600002, Tamil Nadu, India
Madhan Jeyaraman, Department of Orthopaedics, ACS Medical College and Hospital, Dr MGR Educational and Research Institute, Chennai 600077, Tamil Nadu, India
Author contributions: Nallakumarasamy A designed the research; Nallakumarasamy A and Jeyaraman N analyzed the articles for performing review; Nallakumarasamy A, Jeyaraman N, and Ramasubramanian S wrote the manuscript; Shrivastava S, Devadas AG, Rangarajan RV, and Jeyaraman M finalized the manuscript; all of the authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript to be published.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflict of interest in publishing this manuscript.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Madhan Jeyaraman, MS, PhD, Assistant Professor, Research Associate, Department of Orthopaedics, ACS Medical College and Hospital, Dr MGR Educational and Research Institute, Periyar EVR High Road (NH 4 Highway), Chennai 600077, Tamil Nadu, India. madhanjeyaraman@gmail.com
Received: September 18, 2024 Revised: November 7, 2024 Accepted: November 20, 2024 Published online: June 20, 2025 Processing time: 73 Days and 16.2 Hours
Abstract
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating condition with limited long-term treatment options. The therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), particularly those derived from bone marrow aspirate concentrate, has garnered attention for cartilage repair in OA. While the iliac crest is the traditional site for bone marrow harvesting (BMH), associated morbidity has prompted the exploration of alternative sites such as the proximal tibia, distal femur, and proximal humerus. This paper reviews the impact of different harvesting sites on mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) yield, viability, and regenerative potential, emphasizing their relevance in knee OA treatment. The iliac crest consistently offers the highest MSC yield, but alternative sites within the surgical field of knee procedures offer comparable MSC characteristics with reduced morbidity. The integration of harvesting techniques into existing knee surgeries, such as total knee arthroplasty, provides a less invasive approach while maintaining therapeutic efficacy. However, variability in MSC yield from these alternative sites underscores the need for further research to standardize techniques and optimize clinical outcomes. Future directions include large-scale comparative studies, advanced characterization of MSCs, and the development of personalized harvesting strategies. Ultimately, the findings suggest that optimizing the site of BMH can significantly influence the quality of MSC-based therapies for knee OA, enhancing their clinical utility and patient outcomes.
Core Tip: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) has limited long-term treatments. Mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow aspirate concentrate show promise for cartilage repair. However, variability in mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) yield from the sites necessitates further research to standardize techniques and optimize outcomes. Future directions include large-scale studies and personalized harvesting strategies to enhance MSC-based therapies for knee OA.
