Abstract
The challenge of osteoarthritis (OA) is to find a minimally invasive orthobiological therapy to contrast OA progression, on inflammatory and structural fronts. The aim of the present study is to compare the effects of an intra-articular injection of three orthobiological treatments, autologous culture expanded adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (ADSCs), autologous stromal vascular fraction (SVF) and allogenic culture expanded amniotic epithelial stem cells (AECs), in an animal model of OA. OA was induced in 24 sheep by bilateral lateral meniscectomy and, at 3 and 6 months post-treatment, the results were analyzed with macroscopy, histology, histomorphometry, and biochemistry. All the three treatments showed better results than control (injection of NaCl), but SVF and AECs showed superiority over ADSCs, because they induced higher cartilage regeneration and lower inflammation. SVF showed better results than AECs at 3 and 6 months. To conclude, SVF seems to be more favorable than the other biological options, because it is easily obtained and rapidly used after harvesting, with good healing potential. AECs cause no discomfort and could be also considered for the treatment of OA joints.