Long bone nonunion is a serious complication of a fracture in which the normal process of bone healing is interrupted or stalled. If the accident in which the bone is fractured is at least nine months old and no bone healing is observed for more than three months, the patient may be suffering from nonunion.
Recent studies at Royan Institute, a research and clinical center for infertility and reproductive health in Iran, has shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), traditionally found in the bone marrow, can have extensive treatment applications without causing any harm to the individual’s health.
The study was designed with an aim to find a new method of treatment for long bone nonunion. Under the study, seven patients suffering from long bone nonunion received at the site of the fractured bone 20 million mesenchymal cells along with platelets.
The improvement of the patients’ conditions was monitored by X-ray at intervals of one, three, six and twelve months.
The results of the study published in Cell Journal shows that within the span of 12 months, the mesenchymal stem cells have had no negative effect on the health of the individuals under the experiment.
According to the data provided by X-ray, four patients gained full recovery. The results reveal that mesenchymal cell transplant for treating bone defects is safe and has no adverse effect on patients’ health.
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