Musculoskeletal Injuries (MSI) refer to damage to muscular or skeletal systems, usually due to strenuous activity. In other words, MSIs are any injury that affects the bones, muscles, ligaments, nerves, or tendons resulting in pain. 

One of the most common causes of pain and physical disorders around the globe is Musculoskeletal Injuries (any injury to the musculoskeletal system, i.e., ligaments, tendons, bones, and soft tissues). Musculoskeletal injuries can even result in morbidity and mortality in some of the underprivileged areas in the world. History shows that MSK injuries are directly linked with disabilities, long-term pain, and reduced daily routine activities. Patient’s quality of life and functional abilities are impacted as a consequence of pain and disabling conditions.

There are a variety of causes resulting in Musculoskeletal Injuries. Some of the most frequently occurring causes are:

• Aging

• Road traffic accident

• Physical assault

• Pathological damage (arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, TB spine)

• Gunshot injury

• Repetitive task injury

A single excessive strain or injury may cause a Herniated Disc. However, disc material degenerates naturally as one ages, and the ligaments that hold it in place begin to weaken. As this degeneration progresses, a relatively minor strain or twisting movement can cause a disc to rupture.

Certain individuals may be more vulnerable to disc problems and, as a result, may suffer Herniated Discs in several places along the spine. Research has shown that a predisposition for Herniated Discs may exist in families with several members affected.

Discs cushion the vertebrae that make up the spine in the back. They act as a shock absorber in the spinal column situated between each spinal vertebrae. A Herniated Disc is also known as a bulged, slipped, or punctured disc. Disc herniation occurs when a tear or rupture in the annulus forces a nucleus fragment out of the annulus and into the spinal canal. When a herniated fragment goes to the spinal canal, it can push onto the spinal nerves and produce severe pain symptoms in the relative spinal nerves. It can affect any part of the entire spine, but the most common areas affected by the Herniated Disc are the lumbar and cervical spine.

Treatment options for a herniated disc can be divided into non-surgical and surgical treatments.

• Non-surgical treatment 

  • Physical therapy 

    Electrotherapy

  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications 

  • Steroid Injections

• Surgical treatment

  • Laminotomy

  • Discectomy

Stem Cells are the natural repair process of your body parts, they’re present in our fat cells and bone marrow cells, and in this case, we use Mesenchymal Stem Cells from donor cord blood. If you place the SCs over the area of damage, then these cells can lead to the activation of new and healthy cells. This healing process is what our body needs. Stem Cell Therapy helps boost body repair mechanisms and introduces new Stem Cells.

All tissues and body organs consist of Stem Cells. Significant physiological mechanisms of restoring wounded tissues in the body include: 

• The capability of stem cells to "self-renew." 

• Give rise to many cells of the same sort over long periods

• Differentiate into mature cells

Musculoskeletal structures especially tendons, cartilages, and intervertebral discs have a low capacity to self-heal in response to damage. The beneficial properties of SCs make them appealing and prospective treatments for several musculoskeletal disorders. 

Three characteristic properties of Stem Cells which make them the choice of treatment for musculoskeletal injuries are:

• Ability to divide and regenerate over an extensive period

• Undifferentiated cells

• Capability to differentiate into specific cell types

Stem Cell research and findings might lead to more non-pharmaceutical treatment alternatives for musculoskeletal pain. Stem Cell Therapies may reduce, but not eliminate, the need for frequent medication treatment while still providing long-term benefits. Even though research on MSC immunogenicity shows that they have immunomodulatory properties, multiple investigations have documented immune-mediated harm to stem cells after insertion and differentiation.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells are mesodermal-derived heterogeneous cells. MSCs are multi-lineage stem cells with a wide range of proliferative capabilities. They are versatile and capable of creating a healthy environment for the damaged tissues by secreting factors and signaling injured tissues to alter their behavior.

In herniated discs, MSCs are seen to delay or even reverse the degenerative process. The cells restore the cellular components in the ruptured disc and produce an extracellular matrix, increasing disc height. MSCs reduce the levels of inflammatory cytokines and interleukin produced by T-cells in the body.

Many sources are described in studies for extracting SCs from muscles, bones, bone marrow, and adipose tissue. Of all these sources two most frequently used in Stem Cell Therapy are adipose tissue and bone marrow. Bone marrow is withdrawn with a needle and then centrifuged to separate growth factors and SCs. These stem cells are then carefully injected into the herniated disc. When these cells activate at the site of damage, they replace old damaged cells with new healthy cells. As a result, they improve pain and inflammation at the site of damage.

Stem Cell Therapy and Exosomes provide an efficient opportunity for treating Musculoskeletal disorders on account of miRNAs, which play a vital role in the prevention and progression of different diseases. Cartilage destruction can be one of the most common results of musculoskeletal disorders. Silencing miRNA-101 through exosomes can help prevent cartilage degradation in the case of arthritis. 

Osteoclast differentiation and bone-forming cells proliferation is another significant result of MSCs-Exosomes Therapy. Different studies proved that Exosomes could help in protection against acute tubular injuries. These cells mediate the interaction between cells and stimulate cell proliferation to control several diseases and traumas. For instance, these cells are involved (directly) in the transfer of microRNAs to affect the signal transduction pathways into the targeted cells. This process can be used as a microRNA cell therapy for most age-related musculoskeletal diseases and disorders.

he risks of Stem Cell Treatment are dependent on a variety of factors. Risk is calculated as the measure of the possibility of damage occurring and the degree of that loss. 

Some of the frequently observed risk factors are:

• Type of cells used

• Cell culture history

• Location of injection

• Manipulation level of stem cells

• The majority of the negative consequences and side effects of Stem Cell Therapy can be controlled and managed effectively. We can prevent harmful consequences with proper selection of the cell type and detailed history of the process they underwent earlier. Preparing the patient and site of injection with care can help to limit post-treatment infections.

• Stem Cell Therapy has a great potential to be more effective for treating Musculoskeletal Injuries than previous methods and carries less risk. SCT has a great potential to emerge as one solution to all the human body problems, but it will need some time and patience.  

• All the treatment options for Musculoskeletal Injuries have been temporary options for just treating the symptoms. With the invention of Stem Cells Replacement Therapy, hopes and prognosis of the disease treatment have been raised. It has the potential to be more effective than previous methods and also carries less risk.