Cell-based versus corticosteroid injections for knee pain in osteoarthritis: a randomized phase 3 trial

Mautner K, Gottschalk M, Boden SD, et al. · Nature Medicine

At 12 months, none of the three cell-based injections was superior to a corticosteroid injection (or to each other) for pain or function. No serious adverse events.

Population

480 randomized (440 analyzed) adults with symptomatic knee OA, multicenter

Intervention

Single injection of autologous BMAC, autologous adipose stromal vascular fraction, or allogeneic umbilical cord tissue-derived MSCs

Comparator

Corticosteroid injection

Limitations

Single-blind; active comparator rather than placebo; philanthropically funded (Marcus Foundation) — still the largest US orthobiologics RCT to date.