Understanding Fat-Based Regenerative Treatments for Joint Conditions
Enrico Ragni, Marco Viganò, Paola De Luca, Edoardo Pedrini, Laura de Girolamo · 2021
Your Own Fat Tissue Contains Powerful Healing Cells
Fat tissue is far more than just energy storage. Scientists now know it contains a rich mix of healing cells. These include mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (regenerative cells that can become various tissue types). Fat tissue also contains pericytes (helper cells that support blood vessel healing) and other supportive cells. This natural reservoir of healing potential makes fat tissue valuable for treating joint problems.
The presence of these regenerative cells has drawn major attention from doctors treating musculoskeletal conditions. Research shows fat tissue contains up to 3% stem cells. Bone marrow contains only 0.002% to 0.02%. This makes fat an especially rich source for regenerative treatments.
Three Ways Doctors Can Use Your Fat for Healing
Doctors can process fat tissue in different ways to help joints heal. The first approach uses culture-expanded cells grown in a laboratory over weeks. The second uses stromal vascular fraction (SVF), which separates cells from fat tissue. The third uses micro-fragmented adipose tissue, like Lipogems®, which gently processes fat while keeping its natural structure intact.
Each method has trade-offs. Lab-grown cells require two procedures and specialized facilities. This increases cost and treatment time. Point-of-care options like micro-fragmented fat offer same-day treatment. They also preserve the tissue's natural healing environment.
Micro-Fragmented Fat Preserves Your Body's Natural Healing Environment
Micro-fragmented adipose tissue stands out because it maintains the tissue's original architecture. The gentle mechanical processing removes blood and oils. These substances can cause inflammation. However, it keeps the supportive structure where healing cells naturally live.
This is important because cells work better in their native environment. The preserved tissue contains clusters of fat measuring hundreds of micrometers. These clusters hold all the original cell types in their natural positions. This includes the stem cells, blood vessel cells, and support cells working together.
Both Lab-Grown and Point-of-Care Products Show Safety in Trials
Clinical trials have demonstrated safety for both approaches. SVF and micro-fragmented fat show anti-inflammatory effects. They also demonstrate the ability to calm overactive immune responses. Studies report reparative effects in living patients.
The practical advantages of same-day treatments have made them popular among orthopedic doctors. Publication numbers continue to rise as more surgeons report their results. This growing body of evidence supports the safety of fat-based treatments for musculoskeletal problems.
Individual Factors May Influence Your Treatment Results
Your personal health characteristics can affect how well these treatments work. Researchers continue studying how age, weight, and other factors influence outcomes. The tissue source, processing method, and injection technique all play roles.
For culture-expanded cells, scientists can measure specific qualities before treatment. These include cell markers, secretion of healing factors, and immune-modulating ability. However, the expansion process itself can change cell characteristics. This creates variability between batches.
Point-of-Care Treatments Offer Practical Benefits
Same-day procedures using micro-fragmented fat avoid the need for laboratory facilities. They require only one surgical session instead of two. This reduces both cost and inconvenience for patients.
The Lipogems® system uses mechanical processing only. This meets regulatory requirements for minimal manipulation. The result is a product containing your own healing cells within their natural supportive structure. This approach combines practical convenience with biological effectiveness.
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Source: Ragni et al., None, 2021.
Original Publication
Adipose-Derived Stem/Stromal Cells, Stromal Vascular Fraction, and Microfragmented Adipose Tissue
Enrico Ragni, Marco Viganò, Paola De Luca, Edoardo Pedrini, Laura de Girolamo · 2021
Adipose tissue has evolved from being considered merely an energy storage depot to a recognized regulator of energy balance, bone metabolism, hematopoiesis, and inflammation. This highly vascularized tissue contains a heterogeneous mixture of cell populations, including mature adipocytes, preadipocytes, fibroblasts, vascular cells, immune cells, and importantly, mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) known as adipose-derived stem/stromal cells (ASCs). The presence of ASCs has attracted significant clinical attention due to their paracrine effects and multipotent differentiation capacity, with successful applications reported in musculoskeletal conditions, cardiac diseases, ischemia, neurological disorders, and metabolic diseases. Adipose tissue can be utilized through two main approaches: isolation and culture expansion of ASCs to obtain standardized stem/stromal cell populations, or point-of-care processing into stromal vascular fraction (SVF) or microfragmented adipose tissue (microfat). While culture-expanded ASCs provide standardized populations consistent with ISCT criteria, SVF and microfat preserve the native tissue niche containing diverse cell types including stem and progenitor cells. Both strategies demonstrate anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and reparative effects, with growing evidence of safety and efficacy in clinical trials, particularly for orthopedic applications.