Stem Cell Concentrate

Many surgeons have used bone marrow aspirate (unconcentrated) to help increase the bioactivity of graft matrices. However, the literature suggests that healing is often not achieved in the absence of concentration; particularly in healing impaired patients. In a 1991 study published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Connolly, et al's study supported the concept that osteogenesis is stimulated by marrow and that the stimulus is related to cell concentration.

	Full Healing (n=53)	Non-Healing (n=7)
Bone Marrow Aspirate, ml	306 + 24
Baseline BMA, Progenitors/cm³	612 + 134
Concentration of BMA in graft, Progenitors/cm³	2,835 + 1,160	634 + 187
Colony Forming Units, Progenitors/cm³	>1,500	< 1,000

More recently in a 2005 study published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Hernigou, et al determined that the efficacy of bone marrow aspirate grafting appears to be related to the number of progenitor cells available in the graft, and the number of progenitors available in bone marrow aspirated from the iliac crest appears to be less than optimal in the absence of concentration.

Consequently, it appears critical to choose a technology platform that concentrates all the stem and accessory cells but also concentrates these cells without diminishing their biologic potential.