Isolation and Characterization of Synovial Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived From Patients With Chronic Lateral Ankle Instability: A Comparative Analysis of Synovial Fluid, Adipose Synovium, and Fibrous Synovium of the Ankle Joint.

Background: Synovial mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have high proliferative potential and are considered an excellent source for stem cell therapy.

Purposes: To isolate MSCs from the synovium of ankle joints in patients with chronic lateral ankle instability (CLAI) and to compare the characteristics of MSCs derived from the synovium anterior to the talus with those from the surrounding anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) synovium.

Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.

Methods: The synovium was harvested from 2 locations in the ankle, the synovium anterior to the talus and the surrounding ATFL synovium, of 14 patients who underwent arthroscopic ATFL repair for CLAI without osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLTs). Synovial fluid was also harvested. MSCs were isolated from both types of synovial tissue, as well as synovial fluid. The number of MSCs in the synovium and their viability, proliferation, colony-forming units, and potential to differentiate into adipose, bone, and cartilage tissues were determined and compared between groups. Additionally, real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to assess the differentiation capacity of adipose, bone, and cartilage tissues from both samples. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare the sample weight, number of colonies, number of nucleated cells per colony, yield obtained, and phenotypic characteristics of MSCs derived from different locations of the synovium.

Results: No significant differences were observed in the sample weight ( = .051), number of nucleated cells per milligram ( = .272), number of colonies ( = .722), and yield obtained ( = .099) between the 2 groups. MSCs could not be isolated from synovial fluid. The frequency of oil red O-positive adipogenic colonies ( = .028) and the expression of the adipsin gene ( < .05) were significantly increased in the cells from the synovium anterior to the talus compared to those in the cells from the surrounding ATFL synovium. However, chondrogenic and osteogenic potentials were not significantly different between the 2 groups.

Conclusion: Synovial MSCs obtained from the ankle joint had self-renewal and multilineage differentiation potential, although the adipogenesis potential of MSCs from the synovium anterior to the talus was superior to that from the surrounding ATFL synovium.

Clinical Relevance: Both the adipose synovium and fibrous synovium in the ankle joints of patients with CLAI may be a good source of MSCs for stem cell therapy applications, whereas synovial fluid appeared unsuitable.