Adipose-derived stem cell uses in orthopaedic surgeries: a scoping review protocol

Area of Science:

• Regenerative Medicine
• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Stem Cell Therapy

Background:

• Musculoskeletal disorders are a major health burden, often leading to chronic pain and disability.
• Current treatments for musculoskeletal issues have limitations and prolonged recovery times.
• Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) show promise for tissue regeneration but require further investigation in human orthopaedic shoulder surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically map the existing evidence on the clinical application of ADSCs in orthopaedic shoulder surgery.
• To synthesize data on preparation, techniques, follow-up, and outcomes of ADSC treatments.
• To identify gaps in current research and guide future priorities in ADSC-based orthopaedic interventions.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review following Joanna Briggs Institute methodology.
• Searches across Embase, MEDLINE, CENTRAL, Scopus, and ClinicalTrials.gov, plus grey literature.
• Inclusion of studies on adults (≥18 years) undergoing shoulder surgery, extracting clinical and patient-reported outcomes.

Main Results:

• The review will synthesize evidence on ADSC preparation, intraoperative techniques, and postoperative follow-up.
• Analysis will focus on heterogeneity in clinical practice, methodological limitations, and patient-centered outcomes.
• Identification of current research gaps and future research directions in ADSC applications.

Conclusions:

• This review provides a comprehensive overview of ADSC use in orthopaedic shoulder surgery.
• It highlights variations in clinical practice and outcome reporting.
• The findings will inform future research priorities for optimizing ADSC-based regenerative therapies.