title: Mesenchymal stem cells in post-surgical cavities of large maxillary bone lesions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent studies have highlighted that MSCs are capable of regenerating large bone defects when used in combination with bone substitutes and increasing allo-graft osteointegration. We investigated the hypothesis that autologous MSCs may lead to increased bone regeneration and reduced healing time in post-surgical cavities of large maxillary bone lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study involved 10 patients (TEST GROUP) (6 males and 4 females). All patients had expansive mandibular lesions larger than 3 cm. From the surgical point of view, the 10 patients were treated with MSCs (withdrawal of the iliac crest bone marrow BMMSs) directly into the post-surgical cavity, without the addition of filler.
  
  
  RESULTS
  and radiological data, in the postoperative, were compared to those of patients who did not receive any grafting of MSCs. The 7 patients with mandibular lesions showed a rapid and very good healing with an 85-90% ossification of the major defect at 12 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Through the use of stem cells a greater ossification of the residual cavity (85-90%) was observed at 12 months after surgical enucleation in contenitive defects.
authors.affiliation: University of Florence, School of Human Health Sciences, Surgery and Translational Medicine Department (DCMT), Head and Neck Unit, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bertolai
authors.affiliation: University of Florence, School of Human Health Sciences, Surgery and Translational Medicine Department (DCMT), Head and Neck Unit, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Catelani
authors.affiliation: University of Florence, School of Human Health Sciences, Surgery and Translational Medicine Department (DCMT), Head and Neck Unit, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Mattia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Signorini
authors.affiliation: University of Florence, School of Human Health Sciences, Surgery and Translational Medicine Department (DCMT), Head and Neck Unit, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: University of Florence, School of Human Health Sciences, Surgery and Translational Medicine Department (DCMT), Head and Neck Unit, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giannini
keywords: MSCs; bone grafts; bone regeneration; maxillary bone cysts; maxillary defects