Mesenchymal stem cell applications in spine disorders: A comprehensive review

Abstract

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are increasingly being employed in a number of orthopedic settings, in particular in the treatment of hip and knee osteoarthritis. Recently, the use MSCs has been investigated for different spine settings. However, the use of these cells is not yet widespread in the clinical practice. The aim of this review was to investigate the current literature regarding the use of MSCs in different spine conditions and discuss possible future applications. In particular, degenerative disc disease is the most studied field for MSC application, and is the only one that has already reached the clinical practice, albeit not routinely. Spinal cord injuries are another extensively investigated use of MSCs: despite encouraging preliminary results, a consensus on the efficacy of stem cell therapy for spinal cord injuries has not yet been reached, and their use is still only experimental.