Cartilage Defect Treatments: With or without Cells? Mesenchymal Stem Cells or Chondrocytes? Traditional or Matrix-Assisted? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses

Table 2

Characteristics of studies that compared cell-based and cell-free cartilage treatments.

Study

Year

Study design

Regions

Number of patients

FU

Age; Mean, range (yr)

Gender; Male/female

Locations

Major assessments of efficacy

Excellent

Good

Fair

Poor

Preoperation score (mean ± SD)

Postoperation score (mean ± SD)

Other assessments

Gudas et al. (athletes) [27]

2005

RCT

Lithuania

OAT: 28

Mean, 37.1 mo.

24.3, 15–40

NR

Knee

ICRS

Excellent + good: 27

Fair + poor: 1

50.67 ± 4.05

85.88 ± 4.69

HSS, MRI

MF: 29

Excellent + good: 15

Fair + poor: 14

50.84 ± 4.07

75.59 ± 4.65

Kon et al. [28]

2009

CS

Italy

MACT: 40

5 yr

29.0

33/7

Knee

IKDC

29

6

5

0

40.5 ± 15.2

80.2 ± 19.1

TAS

MF: 40

30.6

27/13

6

24

7

3

41 ± 12.3

70.2 ± 14.7

Gudas et al. (children) [29]

2009

RCT

Lithuania

OAT: 25

Mean, 4.2 yr

5–15

NR

Femoral condyles

ICRS

Excellent + good: 19

Fair + poor: 6

NR

NR

X-ray, MRI

MF: 22

Excellent + good: 12

Fair + poor: 10

NR

NR

Basad et al. [30]

2010

RCT

Germany

MACT: 40

2 yr

33.0

25/15

Knee

ICRS

14

14

2

0

51 ± 26

92 ± 9

TAS, MRI, and Lysholm

MF: 20

37.5

17/3

2

4

3

1

55 ± 25

69 ± 26

Cole et al. [31]

2011

RCT

USA

CAI: 20

2 yr

32.7

14/6

Knee

IKDC

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

82.95 ± 14.88

MRI, SF-36, and KOOS

MF: 9

33.0

5/4

NR

59.5 ± 13.44

Kon et al. (soccer players) [32]

2011

CS

Italy

MACT: 21

2 yr

23.7, 16–37

21/0

Knee

IKDC

16

4

1

0

43.2 ± 13.7

90.5 ± 12.8

TAS, ICRS, and recovery time

MF: 20

26.5, 18–35

20/0

13

5

2

0

47.3 ± 8.5

86.8 ± 9.7

Crawford et al. [33]

2012

RCT

USA

NeoCart: 21

2 yr

41

19/2

Distal femoral cartilage

IKDC

NR

NR

NR

NR

44 ± 13

65 ± 12

SF-36, KOOS

MF: 9

39

6/3

52 ± 12

73 ± 16

FU: follow-up; RCT: randomized clinical trial; CS: cohort study; MF: microfracture; MACT: matrix-assisted autologous chondrocyte transplantation; ICRS: International Cartilage Repair score; HSS: Hospital for Special Surgery score; IKDC: International Knee Documentation Committee; MRI: magnetic resonance imaging; SF-36: Short-Form-36 Health Survey; TAS: Tegner Activity Score; CAI: cartilage autologous implantation; KOOS: Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score; NeoCart: an autologous cartilage tissue implant; OAT: osteochondral autologous transplantation.