Study on Persistent Symptomatic and Functional Improvement of Hands Osteoarthritis Post Expanded Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy: A Clinical Approach

This study aims to find out if any potential cellular biological therapy could provide patients who suffer from hand osteoarthritis (OA) help with symptoms control and restore hand function to improve activities of daily living and make work more comfortable. OA of the hands is a challenging condition and difficult to treat. We usually treat OA with Analgesics, anti-inflammatory medications, and hand exercises. In severe cases, we proceed for surgery, either reconstruction, replacement, or fusion of the joint (s) depending on the affected area. We report a case of a sixty-six-year-old female who was bothered by symptomatic hand OA for six years that affected her activities of daily living and job; she works as an aromatherapist. She responded well to adipose-derived autologous expanded mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy, which we accomplished under ultrasound guidance after digital nerve block for bilateral second through fifth distal interphalangeal joints. The improvement began one month after the stem cell implants, with the most significant benefit occurring ten months after the therapy, which lasted after that. A fourteen-month follow-up x-ray revealed no radiological progression of OA in the treated joints compared to the baseline x-ray. She continued to enjoy relaxing activities of daily livings and work. Despite the persistent response, she chose a booster dose of MSC therapy to maintain her function and prevent the progression of OA. This case demonstrated good symptomatic and functional outcomes, with no further OA joint deterioration on x-rays; this indicates a promising therapy for hand OA where no other available medical treatment can achieve so far.