Clinical Applications of Stem Cells for Bone Repair

The skeletal system is frequently injured and although most bones heal well, there are many incidences of bony non-unions. These can have significant implications on the patient and on the healthcare service. Current treatment options include osteotomies or bony transport and transplant. Stem cells have been shown to be a viable method of stimulating local bone regeneration, without the associated risks of traditional treatment regimens. They can be used in combination with scaffolds to provide a three-dimensional structure, with growth factors that would allow cell proliferation and differentiation, and gene therapy to modify the gene expression to that of the native tissue. In this chapter, tissue engineering principles are discussed along with the role of mesenchymal stem cells, scaffolds and growth factors.