Assessment of Multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in Bone Marrow Aspirate From Human Calcaneus

Bone marrow aspirates (BMAs), owing to their innate osteogenic potential, are well-documented supplements to osteoconductive and/or osteoinductive materials. The calcaneal body provides foot and ankle surgeons a convenient harvest site with low morbidity and minimal cost. In the present study, we sought to identify and characterize multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in BMAs harvested from the human calcaneal body. Ten healthy patients aged 18 to 65 years were enrolled in the present study. BMAs were harvested from the patients without any reported postoperative complications related to the harvest. Cells isolated from all the aspirates were adherent to culture plates and expressed positive MSC surface markers (CD105, CD90, and CD73) and a low level of negative MSC markers (CD34 and CD45). The cells maintained the ability to proliferate and differentiate into cells of mesenchymal lineages. The BMAs from the human calcaneal body offer a healthy source of multipotent MSCs.