Riassunto dello studio

Ninety-five patients with symptomatic meniscal tears and mild knee osteoarthritis were randomized to receive either an autologous bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) injection at the time of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM) (n=44) or APM alone (n=39). The primary outcome of interest was the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score at one year postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included radiographic changes (Kellgren-Lawrence grade) at one year and various patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), including the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, and the Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey (VR-12), assessed at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years. Overall, the results revealed no significant differences in IKDC scores or radiographic outcomes between the BMAC and control groups at one year. However, a greater proportion of the BMAC group achieved the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for KOOS Sport and KOOS Symptoms at one year. These findings suggest that while BMAC does not significantly improve primary outcomes compared to APM alone, it may enhance specific functional and symptomatic improvements.