Biological augmentation of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with bone marrow aspirate concentrate: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

2024

Using Bone Marrow Aspirate to Help ACL Surgery

Sample size: 221 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Park Jae Yong, Ng Hing Cheung James Andrew, Todorov Dominik, Park Shin Young, Lim Hayeon, Shin Eunjae, Yoon Angelina, Ha Joon

Hypothesis

Does biological augmentation with bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) improve outcomes in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction?

Conclusion

Biological augmentation with BMAC in ACL reconstruction does not significantly improve early patient-reported outcomes but offers potential benefits in graft recovery without increasing complication rates.

Supporting Evidence

No significant differences were found in postoperative IKDC scores between the BMAC and control groups at three, six, and twelve months.
The BMAC group had significantly higher IKDC scores at 24 months, but this difference was unlikely to be clinically significant.
No significant differences were observed in postoperative Lysholm scores at 12 or 24 months.
MRI-related outcomes suggested potential graft recovery improvement with BMAC.
Complication rates were comparable between groups.

Takeaway

Doctors are trying to see if using a special liquid from bone marrow can help people heal better after knee surgery, but it doesn't seem to make a big difference right now.

Methodology

A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of BMAC in ACL reconstruction, focusing on patient-reported outcomes and MRI-related findings.