Umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stem cell therapy for osteonecrosis of femoral head

Abstract

Osteo Necrosis of the Femoral Head (ONFH) is a form of osteonecrosis that occurs owing to interruption of blood supply to the proximal femur followed by fragmentation, reossification, and remodelling of the femoral head. In United States, the incidence of avascular necrosis of the femoral head is projected to be around 30000, which contributes to 10% of the total hip replacement done every year. It was believed that necrosis of proximal femur occurs due to the inadequate supply of progenitor cells in the femoral head. So, treatment is aimed at introducing stem cells in necrosis area in order to avoid the risk of fracture and collapse to restore the structural design of femoral head. The objective of this review is to highlight the potential of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy along with core decompression for the management of ONFH with a special reference to umbilical cord-derived stem cells. Keywords: Umbilical cord, Mesenchymal stem cells, Osteonecrosis, Femoral head, Avascular necrosis.