Mesenchymal stem cells have been proposed for repair and regeneration of different structures of the knee joint like articular cartilage, meniscus, tendons, and ligaments. Many successful experimental preclinical studies have been published on various topics in this field. However only limited stem cell based approaches for regeneration of knee structures have been introduced into daily clinical practice.

The purpose of this special issue is to publish high quality research articles as well as reviews that address recent developments on the use of mesenchymal stem cells for repair and regeneration of knee structures and the potential of these approaches for clinical translation. It should focus on stem cell based treatment options for the knee that have been successfully introduced into clinical practice or show a high potential for clinical translation. Preclinical findings with a possible high impact on the development of stem cell based repair strategies of knee structures should also be covered in order to improve future developments and identify key hurdles that still remain to be overcome.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Mesenchymal stem cells from different sources for articular-regeneration
• Translational studies for stem cell based cartilage repair
• Translational models and improvements in meniscal regeneration by mesenchymal stem cells
• Endogenous and stem cell induced knee ligament regeneration
• Knee tendon repair by stem cell based tissue engineering approaches
• Role and potential of tissue related and locally derived stem cells in the knee
• Analysis of the role of mesenchymal stem cells during knee structure healing processes and their potential as targets for regenerative treatment strategies
• Modulation of stem cell based treatment options to improve the outcome and accelerate clinical translation
• Translational clinical trails for knee structure regeneration
• Animal models with focus on translational treatment approaches for the knee with mesenchymal stem cells