Autologous Fat Grafting: Evaluation of Efficacy in Pain Relief

Early human evidence such as case series or small samples is exploring possible benefits.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Autologous fat grafting (AFG) has been used in reconstructive plastic surgery for over a century. Although it has obvious benefits to the aesthetic appearance of many reconstructive surgeries, less appreciated advantages of fat grafting have also been shown in potential pain reduction. This can be seen across the board from head to toe with examples ranging from facial nerve injury to pedal atrophy and foot ulcers. The purpose of this literature review is to evaluate the efficacy of AFG for pain relief in various indications and serve as a reference for clinicians to gain insight on potentially beneficial therapies for their patients. Methods A broad literature review was performed to analyze the various uses of AFG for pain management by various indications including postmastectomy pain syndrome, scar pain, neuromas, chronic wounds and many more. The PubMed, Science Direct and Scopus online databases were searched using keywords such as "autologous fat grafting," "reconstruction," "pain," and "therapy." Results At this point, there is decent evidence to support AFG's role in pain resolution in postmastectomy pain syndrome, neuropathic scar pain, and pedal injury. There is also ample low-level evidence for pain efficacy in autoimmune diseases, neuromas, vulvar lichen sclerosis, burns, and radiation-induced wounds. Conclusions While there is a clear lack of higher-level evidence

Evidence level

Early human evidence such as case series or small samples is exploring possible benefits.

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