Stem Cell Therapy in Athletes with Skeletal Muscle Overuse Injuries

Abstract: Overuse injuries account for 50% of the annual 3.5 million injuries sustained by athletes ages 6 to 18 in the United States. Traditional treatments, including the RICE principle, NSAIDs, physical therapy, and surgery, often fail to fully regenerate damaged tissue due to their reliance on the body’s natural healing mechanisms. Therefore, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy has emerged as a promising strategy for enhancing skeletal muscle repair and regeneration. Studies have demonstrated that MSCs derived from bone marrow, adipose tissue, and umbilical cord can improve muscle strength and function by promoting tissue regeneration, modulating immune responses, and reducing inflammation. The use of synthetic scaffolds and 3D bioprinting further enhances the effect of injected MSCs. Despite promising potential, there is a notable lack of preclinical trials specifically focused on MSC therapy for skeletal muscle injuries. Several challenges, including limited preclinical studies, cell viability in culture, standardized cell dosages, and delivery, must be addressed for MSC therapy to be integrated into clinical use. This review highlights the regenerative potential of MSCs for skeletal muscle overuse injuries and explores emerging strategies that may lead to future clinical applications in sports medicine treatments.