KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS TREATED WITH MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS ARTHROSCOPY AND PHYSIOTHERAPY: EVALUATION WITH WHOQOL

Introduction: Osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative joint disease, affects the quality of life (QoL). Although there are various therapy options, no existing therapy fully restores cartilage tissue. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) arthroscopy has emerged as a promising treatment. Impact of MSC arthroscopy with physiotherapy on patients' QoL requires further study. Aim: This study examined the effects of MSC arthroscopy, combined with an eight-week standard physiotherapy regimen, on QoL in knee OA patients, with a focus on gender- and age-related differences. Material and methods: This mono-centric clinical study involved 35 knee OA patients (aged 45-65, both genders) treated with MSC arthroscopy and physiotherapy. QoL was assessed pre- and post-treatment using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF), focusing on physical health, psychological health, social health and environmental health domains. Additionally, the influence of age and gender on treatment efficacy was analyzed to understand demographic impacts on therapeutic response. Results: The average WHOQOL-BREF score after the treatment in male patients presented better condition compared to the female in individual domains and for WHOQOL-BREF total. The physical health domain showed the greatest improvement followed by the psychological health domain. Younger age was associated with better outcomes in QoL. Conclusion: The results of the study show MSC arthroscopy therapy in combination with physiotherapy for managing knee OA a promising treatment approach showing significant improvement in QoL. However, further research is needed to understand long-term effects and optimize the treatment of patients with diverse demographic backgrounds.