In skin regeneration therapy using a marrow mesenchymal cell/artificial dermis composite graft, skin regeneration is possible with bone marrow aspiration, a minimally invasive procedure. Compared with existing skin grafting techniques, the present technique is practical and much less invasive.

From 10 cases (9 patients, mean age, 65 years : range 17-75 years), bone marrow fluid was collected from the ilium in 9 cases, and from the proximal tibia in 1 case. The diagnosis was humeral fracture, femoral nonunion, metatarsal bone nonunion and osteoarthrosis of the hip joint in 1, 2, 1 and 5 patients, respectively. After 10-20 mL of bone marrow fluid was collected, it was immediately transferred to the culture room and incubated in a flask containing MEM with 15% fetal bovine serum and dexamethasone, etc.. In patients with fracture or femoral nonunion, porous beta-TCP blocks were impregnated with cultured mesenchymal cells and implanted at the site of fracture or nonunion. In 2 patient with osteoarthrosis, cultured bone marrow cells were impregnated into a porous ceramic block and that was grafted into the bone defect of the acetabular shelf or femur. In 3 patients with hip osteoarthrosis, cultured bone marrow cells were spread over the contact area between the artificial joint and the bone and arthroplasty was done without bone cement. Radiological studies revealed callus formation at 2 weeks after grafting in patients with bone fracture or nonunion. At 1 to 2 months after grafting, the grafted construct was adherent to the native bone in the patient in whom cultured artificial bone was grafted to the acetabular shelf or femur. In 3 patients with hip joint replacement, the stem of the artificial joint showed good integration with the bone of the medullary cavity. Treatment with bone marrow mesenchymal cells has a low invasiveness (only marrow aspiration), and therefore it is suitable for weak elderly patients as well as patients in good general condition, because its low invasiveness enables an early return to work. This treatment is expected to be applied more widely in the near future.