Preclinical and clinical studies on the use of stem cells for bone repair: a systematic review.

The management of extensive bone defects in the setting of fracture repair, non-union and revision arthroplasty are challenging problems. The supply of harvestable autologous bone graft is limited, with an associated morbidity, and there fore a need exists for a better solution in large defects. The use of stem cells is an evolving field of research, with different potential applications, ranging from simple injection of cells to tissue engineering using osteogenic cells seeded on to a scaffold. This systematic review aims to collate the published preclinical and clinical studies investigating the potential use of stem cells for bone repair.