Abstract: For repair of cartilage damaged as part of the degenerative effects of osteoarthritis, the inventors have found that the human mesenchymal stem cell approach makes it possible to: (1) regenerate both shallow cartilage chondral defects and full thickness cartilage defects (osteochondral lesions); (2) broaden the suitable clinical population to routinely include middle-aged patients; (3) eliminate the use of autologous tissue grafts (mature cartilage and the periosteal covering) to repair an articular cartilage injury; (4) regenerate other types of injured cartilage such as patellar and spinal disk cartilage; (5) regenerate articular joint cartilage in older patients with osteoarthritis; and (6) form new cartilage and subchondral bone which fully integrate into the adjacent normal tissue.

Abstract: For repair of cartilage damaged as part of the degenerative effects of osteoarthritis, the inventors have found that the human mesenchymal stem cell approach makes it possible to: (1) regenerate both shallow cartilage chondral defects and full thickness cartilage defects (osteochondral lesions); (2) broaden the suitable clinical population to routinely include middle-aged patients; (3) eliminate the use of autologous tissue grafts (mature cartilage and the periosteal covering) to repair an articular cartilage injury; (4) regenerate other types of injured cartilage such as patellar and spinal disk cartilage; (5) regenerate articular joint cartilage in older patients with osteoarthritis; and (6) form new cartilage and subchondral bone which fully integrate into the adjacent normal tissue.