Allogenic umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stromal cell implantation was superior to bone marrow aspirate concentrate augmentation for cartilage regeneration despite similar clinical outcomes.

There were no significant differences in the clinical outcomes between the two groups. Both treatments provided similar, reliable outcomes in terms of pain relief, functional scores, and quality of life at a mean follow-up of 33 months. However, hUCB-MSC implantation was more effective than BMAC augmentation for articular cartilage regeneration.