Hip Injection Results Show Benefits Lasting Nearly Three Years
Simone Natali, Daniele Screpis, Michele Romeo, Stefano Magnanelli, Giuseppe Rovere, Amarossi Andrea, Lawrence Camarda, Claudio Zorzi · 2022
If you have hip osteoarthritis and are exploring treatment options, this study offers encouraging long-term findings. Researchers followed patients who received a single injection of their own processed fat tissue into the hip joint. The results suggest this approach may provide meaningful relief for many people with early to moderate hip arthritis.
Over Half of Patients Needed No Further Treatment
Out of 55 patients who completed the study, 28 people (just over half) required no additional injections or surgery during the follow-up period. This group included patients with early and moderate osteoarthritis. Their average improvement on a standard hip function questionnaire was nearly seven points. This improvement represents a meaningful change in daily activities like walking, climbing stairs, and putting on shoes.
Pain Scores Dropped Significantly for All Participants
Before treatment, patients reported an average pain score of 4.7 out of 10. At the final follow-up (averaging about three years later), the average pain score had dropped to 1.8. Importantly, no patient reported worse pain compared to before their injection. This suggests the treatment did not cause harm and may have provided lasting pain relief for most participants.
Some Patients Eventually Needed Additional Treatment
Ten patients chose to have another injection during the study period. The average time before needing a second injection was about 21 months. Another 17 patients ultimately had total hip replacement surgery. For these patients, the surgery happened an average of 16 months after their initial injection. This means the injection may have helped delay surgery for over a year in some cases.
Best Results Seen in Early to Moderate Arthritis
The researchers found that patients with early to moderate osteoarthritis experienced the best outcomes. Using a standardized hip function score (called the Oxford Hip Score), patients scoring between 30 and 48 were most likely to benefit. Those with more severe arthritis were more likely to eventually need surgery. This finding helps identify who might be the best candidate for this treatment approach.
Procedure Proved Safe With Minimal Side Effects
Only one minor complication occurred among all participants. One patient developed a deep bruise near the area where fat was collected. This bruise resolved on its own within a few months. No serious side effects were reported. The procedure involved collecting a small amount of fat tissue, processing it using the Lipogems® system, and injecting four milliliters into the hip joint under ultrasound guidance.
What This Means for Your Treatment Decision
This study suggests that micro-fragmented adipose tissue injection can provide meaningful, long-lasting relief for hip osteoarthritis. The treatment appears particularly effective for people whose arthritis is in the early to moderate stages. While some patients eventually needed additional treatment, many experienced years of benefit from a single injection. The excellent safety profile and minimally invasive nature make this an option worth discussing with your doctor, especially if you want to delay or avoid joint replacement surgery.
Keep in mind this was an observational study without a comparison group. Researchers tracked what happened to patients over time but did not compare results to patients receiving other treatments or no treatment. Larger studies with comparison groups would provide stronger evidence about effectiveness.
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Source: Natali et al., 2022.
Original Publication
Is intra-articular injection of autologous micro-fragmented adipose tissue effective in hip osteoarthritis? A three year follow-up
Simone Natali, Daniele Screpis, Michele Romeo, Stefano Magnanelli, Giuseppe Rovere, Amarossi Andrea, Lawrence Camarda, Claudio Zorzi · 2022
Recently, increased attention on regenerative medicine and biological injective treatments have been proposed to restore native cartilage. Micro-fragmented adipose tissue (MFAT) has been studied for its anti-inflammatory, paracrine, and immunomodulatory effects. The long-term effects of MFAT are still poorly understood: the aim of the present study is to demonstrate how hip articular injections with autologous MFAT can have an impact on clinical outcomes. Seventy-one consecutive patients affected by early hip osteoarthritis underwent an ultrasound-guided hip injection of autologous MFAT between June 2017 and December 2018. Patients were divided into four groups according to the Oxford Hip Score. All patients received 4 mL of autologous micro-fragmented adipose tissue under an ultrasound guide. A clinical evaluation was done between 29 and 41 months after the initial treatment. During this follow-up period, we recorded any new treatment the patients had done, whether that be injection or arthroplasty surgery. The study included 55 patients. Out of 55 patients, 28 saw benefits and were in no need of further treatment. Moreover, the score between the beginning and control increased by 6.9 points. Ten patients underwent a new articular injection: the mean time between the two injections was 635.7 ± 180 days. Seventeen patients underwent total hip replacement: the mean period between the autologous MFAT injection and the surgery was 495 days. This study found that intra-articular injections with autologous MFAT achieve beneficial clinical results in patients affected by early to moderate hip osteoarthritis, with an OHS between 48 and 30. Furthermore, these subjects are the ideal patients for whom this treatment obtains good clinical results.