Eligible animals were randomly assigned to two groups through a clinical pilot study conducted independently from clinicians. The dogs in “MSCs group” received in a blinded fashion 10 × 106 MSCs in the operated stifle joint by a single injection in the arthroscopic portal site before closure of the joint, according to Nganvongpanit et al. (35 (link)) and Fajardo et al. (36 (link)). Dogs receiving MSCs were prescribed them from the day after surgery and for 1 month thereafter, with an “A” treatment corresponding to an AINS placebo with no claim for any anti-inflammatory or an OA management in the product datasheet. The dogs in the “NSAIDs group” received the MSC vehicle (phosphate-buffered saline; PAN Biotech, Germany) at the same time of surgery as dogs in the “MSCs group” and were prescribed with a “B” treatment corresponding to NSAIDs (firocoxib, 5 mg/kg, orally, once daily) for 1 month, starting the day after surgery. Both A and B treatments have a similar pharmaceutical presentation and were delivered at discharge by an in-house specialized pharmacist, independently from surgeons.
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