Stem Cell Therapies for Cartilage Defects: A Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

BackgroundCartilage defects, arising from trauma, degenerative conditions, or genetic factors, pose significant challenges in orthopedic practice due to the limited regenerative capacity of articular cartilage. Traditional treatments like physical therapy and pain management often fail to restore tissue effectively. Recently, stem cell therapy has emerged as a promising regenerative medicine approach, potentially enhancing cartilage repair and improving joint function. This review investigates the efficacy of stem cell therapy in treating cartilage defects, focusing on pain reduction, disability, safety, quality of life, and cartilage regeneration compared to conventional care. MethodsA PRISMA compliant systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted by searching the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases. Studies evaluating adult patients with cartilage defects of any etiology treated with various stem cell therapies will be included. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting these outcomes will be included, while non-randomized trials, non-comparative studies, non-human studies, and non-English publications will be excluded. Outcome measures will include validated functional outcome scores, rates of complications and adverse effects and healing of cartilage defects. Meta-analysis will be conducted for studies with similar interventions and outcomes, using fixed or random- effects models based on heterogeneity assessed by the I2 statistic. The quality of evidence will be assessed using GRADE criteria.