title: Stem cell therapy for articular cartilage defects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stem cells are easily accessible and have great potential for healing articular cartilage defects. These features make stem cell therapy an appealing approach for treating severely impaired joint function.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical and basic research articles and literature reviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Stem cells possess the potential to build articular cartilage. Malalignment and instability corrections and proper rehabilitation are crucial prerequisites for surgical procedures involving stem cell therapy. Smoking reduces the result.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ethical concerns remain unresolved. No standards are established for inducing stem cell potential, optimizing culturing media or harvesting. The risk of failure has not been determined.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgical scaffolds can improve results. Care givers should focus on re-educating patients. Improved funding is needed for developing the therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Define guidelines for stem cell therapy and demonstrate effectiveness.
authors.affiliation: Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center and Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, N-1478 Lørenskog, Norway. asbjorn.aroen@medisin.uio.no
authors.forename: Asbjørn
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arøen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002357:Cartilage Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D048091:Guided Tissue Regeneration / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000941:ethics / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology; D012038:Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D057905:Stem Cell Research; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D016896:Treatment Outcome