The Effect of Stem Cells on Ankle Injuries

Ankle injuries lead to joint pain, limitation of movement, occasional effusion, and quality of life impairment. It is estimated that one injury occurs for every 10,000 people each day due to inversion of the ankle. 7-10% of all admissions to hospital emergency departments are a result of ankle injuries. It was found that 70% of acute ankle sprains and fractures display some osteochondral defects (OCD) of the talus. Twenty five percent of all injuries of the musculoskeletal system are related to inversion injuries. About 50% of these injuries are related to sports. Full thickness focal chondral defects in athletes have an overall prevalence of 36%. The ankle is the most injured area of the body for 24 of 70 sports that were studied. Basketball, soccer, football, volleyball, running, and dancing are the sports in which these athletic injuries are most common. Individuals under 35 years of age demonstrate majority of these ankle injuries. The most common age group is for those are between the ages of 15 and 19 years. Etiology of ankle OCDs can either be non-traumatic or traumatic. Seventy percent of acute ankle sprains and fractures occur in the OCD of talus. Potential side effects or medical complications may result from OCD surgeries. Animal and human subjects are commonly used by researchers to investigate the overall effectiveness of stem cells for OCD injuries. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are often the source of preference for orthopedic procedures as they have the ability to differentiate into a variety of tissues. These tissues include bone, muscle, cartilage, and fat. Stem cell transplantation has shown improved tissue quality and rate of healing, sustained gains functionally, decreased pain, and enhanced clinical outcomes. Researchers believed the use of stem cells may offer choices for patients with orthopedic injuries including OCD to reduce recovery time and osteoarthritis as well as enhance function.