Mesenchymal stem cells from minced umbilical cord fragments may represent a valuable cell population for cartilage and bone tissue engineering A promising approach for cartilage and bone repair is the use of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (UC-MSC)-based tissue engineering. Through a simple and efficient protocol based on mincing the umbilical cord, a consistent number of multipotent UC-MSCs can be obtained. The aim of this in-vitro study is to investigate the pluripotency of UC-MSCs and, in particular, the chondrogenic and osteogenic potential of UC-MSCs grown in tridimensional scaffold, in order to identify a potential clinical relevance for patients who might benefit from MSCs-therapy.Summary Statement
Introduction
Preoperative bone-marrow-derived cell mobilization by G-CSF is a safe orthopaedic procedure and allows circulation in the blood of high numbers of CD34+ve cells, promoting osseointegration of a bone substitute. Granulocyte-colony-stimulating-factor(G-CSF) has been used to improve repair processes in different clinical settings for its role in bone-marrow stem cell(CD34+ and CD34-) mobilization. Recent literature suggests that G-CSF may also play a role in skeletal-tissue repair processes. Aim of the study was to verify the feasibility and safety of preoperative bone-marrow cell (BMC) mobilization by G-CSF in orthopaedic patients and to evaluate G-CSF efficacy in accelerating bone regeneration following opening-wedge high tibial valgus osteotomy(HTVO) for genu varum.Summary Statement
Introduction
