Research progress in osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head / 解放军医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (SONFH) is a kind of disease caused by hip joint dysfunction. Long-term or high-dose application of hormone drugs leads to impaired blood supply to the femoral head and the death of a variety of bone stromal cells, resulting in the structural change of trabecular bone in the load-bearing area of the femoral head and irreversible collapse of the femoral head. Early manifestations were hip pain and discomfort, and tenderness in the inguinal region, in the middle stage, pain affects activity; in the later stage, the hip joint space become narrowed, the motion of the hip joint is reduced, and the motion is limited. SONFH has greatly affected the quality of life of patients, so modern medicine is dedicated to improve the symptoms of patients through early intervention, enabling SONFH to get effective treatment and reducing the pressure of life and economic burden of patients. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have become a focus in the early treatment of SONFH due to its osteogenic differentiation. BMSCs are stem cells with multi-directional differentiation potential, with self-proliferation and differentiation characteristics, which can differentiate into bone, provide mechanical support for the necrotic area and secrete a variety of growth factors to support hematopoiesis, slow down the progress of disease, and extend the service life of their own joints. The unreasonable use of hormones mainly inhibits the osteogenic activity of BMSCs, resulting in the occurrence of SONFH. This paper reviews the research on BMSC osteogenic differentiation in recent years, hoping to improve the therapeutic effect of SONFH.