In degenerative diseases of the spine, the posterior longitudinal ligament and the ligamentum flavum ligament and associated joints can become hypertrophied and ossified. While the etiology of these conditions remains largely unknown, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are believed to play an important role. This study was designed to detect the presence of MSCs in the facet joints and interspinous ligaments of patients with degenerative joint disease of the spine.

Subjects were ten patients scheduled for posterior lumbar decompression surgery. At surgery, facet joints and interspinous ligaments were harvested, with mesenchymal stem cells extracted and cell surface markers analyzed using flow cytometry. The cells were then analyzed in vitro after exposure to differentiating agents while in cell culture.

The stem cells derived from the facet joint and interspinous ligaments were found to have a tri-lineage potential to be differentiated into osteogenic, adipogenic and chondrogenic cells, depending upon the induction environment to which they were exposed.

This study of tissue harvested from patients undergoing spine surgery for spinal stenosis isolated stem cells which showed high proliferation rates which could differentiate into osteoblasts, adipocytes, and chondrocytes, depending upon the microenvironment.