Researchers used cartilage from nose to repair defective knees read more at here www.spinonews.com/index.php/item/1358-researchers-used-cartilage-from-nose-to-repair-defective-knees

Using cells from the cartilage in patient’s noses, Swiss doctors have successfully made patches to treat 10 adults whose knee cartilage were damaged by injury.

Two years after the transplants, most of the patients grew new cartilage in their knees and reported improvements in pain, knee function and quality of life.

Study lead researcher, Ivan Martin, a professor of tissue engineering at the University of Basel, said, we have developed a new, promising approach to the treatment of articular cartilage injuries.

The articular cartilage is the tissue that covers and protects the ends of the knee bones, and injuries to it can lead to degenerative joint conditions like osteoarthritis.

For the study, researchers took a small sample of cartilage cells from the patient's nose bone, then grew more cells by exposing them to growth hormone for two weeks. All the cells were then placed in a membrane of collagen and cultured for two more weeks.

The engineered graft was cut into the right shape and used to replace damaged cartilage after it was surgically removed from the patient's knee.

With the procedure, only a small sample of cells is taken from the nose, using a local anesthetic. After the knee is repaired, the patient is on crutches for six to eight weeks. It typically takes several months for a full recovery.

Two years after the procedure, MRI scans revealed that new tissue had developed that was like normal knee cartilage. In addition, nine patients reported improvements in the use of their knee and less pain. One patient was excluded because of several new sports injuries.

The researchers said, no bad reactions were reported, but two serious adverse events unrelated to the procedure occurred an independent injury in the untreated knee and new cartilage damage in other areas of the treated knee.

Dr. Matthew Hepinstall, an orthopedic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital Center for Joint Preservation and Reconstruction in New York City, said, this new study demonstrates the plausibility of taking cartilage cells from the nose in a less invasive procedure that only requires a local anesthetic.