The Effectiveness of Bone Marrow Aspirate Injection for Osteoarthritis of the Hip

Objectives: Bone Marrow Aspirate (BMA) intra-articular injection is a minimally invasive orthobiologic treatments option for Osteoarthritis (OA). Hip OA affects a significant amount of the population and has a paucity of data surrounding orthobiologic treatments. The primary objective of this study was to delineate the clinical impact of bone marrow aspirate intra-articular injections on decreasing pain and improving function in patients with hip OA.

Methods: Here we present a single-centre, retrospective analysis of thirty-one subjects, aged 32 to 83 (62.4 ± 16.5), with Kellgren- Lawrence (KL) Hip OA grading of 2-4 (mean 2.9 ± 0.7), who underwent intra-articular bone marrow aspirate injection into the hip and were followed for twelve months. Outcome measures were at baseline, twelve weeks, six months, and twelve months using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain and the Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score Jr (HOOS-Jr) for function. The proportion of responders, as defined by a ≥ 50% reduction in VAS pain score, was assessed at 12 weeks, six months and twelve months.

Results: At six and twelve months follow up, there was a statistically significant improvement in VAS scores (P<0.05). Stratifying by KL grade, subject with KL grades 2 and 3, experienced statistically significant improvement in VAS scores at six and twelve months. KL grade 4 showed significant improvement in pain at twelve months. Twenty-three present of responders at six months and 61% at twelve months reported ≥ 50% reduction in pain. When stratifying by KL grade, 80% and 71% of KL2 and KL3 grades respectively were responders by 12 months. Subjects experienced statistically significant improvement in HOOS-Jr scores at six-month and twelve-month.

Conclusion: Our study suggests that BMA may improve pain and function for patients with mild, moderate, and severe hip OA from 12 weeks to 12 months.