Derivation of a clinical decision rule for a bone marrow aspirate concentrate injection in knee osteoarthritis.

People with knee osteoarthritis who do not improve with exercise and medicine lack effective long-term treatment options apart from total knee replacement. Although total knee replacement provides effective outcomes in most people, not all people are candidates and not all people respond. Thus, other safe and effective treatment options are required. Bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) is a regenerative medicine treatment that has demonstrated success in people with chronic knee osteoarthritis. However, it is unclear which people do or do not respond to BMAC. This study investigated factors that predicted a successful response to a single injection of BMAC 6 months post injection. Those with lower initial pain levels (<7/10), or high pain levels with previous surgery, could be predicted to benefit from a single BMAC injection.