Micro-Fragmented Fat Injection Shows Promise for Knee Arthritis

30 Patients with Severe Knee Cartilage Damage Treated

This study followed 30 people suffering from widespread cartilage damage in their knees. All had experienced constant pain that did not respond to standard treatments like physical therapy, steroid injections, or hyaluronic acid injections for at least one year. Researchers wanted to see if a single injection of the patient's own processed fat tissue could provide relief where other treatments had failed.

The patients ranged from 23 to 60 years old, with a median age of 43. About 70% were men and 30% were women. Most patients (80%) received the fat injection during another knee procedure, while 20% had arthroscopy alone with the injection.

Fat Tissue Harvested and Processed in One Surgery

Doctors collected fat from each patient's abdomen during the same surgery. The fat was then processed using Lipogems® technology, which gently breaks the tissue into tiny pieces while washing away blood and inflammatory substances. This entire process happened in the operating room, requiring no laboratory expansion or chemical treatment of cells.

The processed tissue—about 10 to 15 milliliters—was then injected directly into the knee joint. Because the fat comes from the patient's own body, there is no risk of rejection or disease transmission from a donor.

Pain Scores Improved by 24 Points at One Year

Researchers measured outcomes using several standard questionnaires before treatment and one year later. The results showed meaningful improvements across all measures:

• Pain scores improved by a median of 24 points on a 100-point scale

• Tegner Lysholm Knee scores (measuring knee function) improved by 31 points

• IKDC-subjective scores (measuring daily activity) improved by 20 points

• KOOS total scores (measuring overall knee health) improved by 20 points

Medical experts consider an improvement of at least 10 points on these scales to be clinically meaningful. The improvements seen in this study were two to three times that threshold.

No Serious Complications or Worsening Reported

Safety was a key focus of this study. Researchers monitored patients for fever, infections, and excessive knee swelling. No relevant complications occurred, and no patient experienced worsening of their condition after the injection.

The post-operative recovery was straightforward. Patients wore a compression bandage on their abdomen for two to three weeks and received blood-thinning medication for 15 days to prevent clots. Most resumed full weight-bearing within one to three weeks, depending on whether they had additional procedures performed.

Why Fat Tissue May Help Damaged Cartilage

Fat tissue contains a rich supply of pericytes (helper cells that support blood vessels) and mesenchymal stem cells. These cells act like a natural "drug store," releasing growth factors and other healing signals that can reduce inflammation and support tissue repair.

Unlike treatments that require cells to be grown in a laboratory, the Lipogems® process keeps these regenerative cells in their natural environment. The micro-fragmented fat also provides cushioning that may help protect damaged joint surfaces.

A Safe, One-Step Option Worth Discussing

This study demonstrates that a single injection of micro-fragmented fat tissue is safe and may provide meaningful pain relief and improved function for people with diffuse knee cartilage damage. The procedure is minimally invasive and uses only the patient's own tissue.

However, this was a relatively small study without a comparison group receiving a placebo or different treatment. Most patients also had additional surgical procedures, which may have contributed to their improvements. Larger, controlled studies are needed to confirm these encouraging results. If you have chronic knee arthritis that has not responded to other treatments, ask your doctor whether this approach might be appropriate for your situation.

Source: Russo et al., None, 2017.