Level B· Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
Cell-assisted lipotransfer: Friend or foe in fat grafting? Systematic review and meta-analysis
Laloze J., Varin A., Bertheuil N., Chaput B.
Included 25 studies with 696 patients; fat survival rate was significantly higher with cell-assisted lipotransfer than conventional grafting.
Level B· Emerging clinical evidence with positive signalsEvidence level of this study
Several human studies show positive signals, while research methods and sample sizes continue to develop.
- 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
- Study type
- Meta-analysis
- Journal
- Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (2018)
- Country
- France
- Sample size
- 696
- Follow-up
- Varied across included studies
- PMID
- 28719946
- DOI
- 10.1002/term.2524
What was studied
Efficacy and safety of adding adipose-derived cells (including SVF) to fat grafting.
Methods
- • Searched MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EBSCO, Web of Science and EMBASE from 2008 to 2016.
- • 16 studies entered the meta-analysis of fat survival rate.
Key findings
- • Fat survival rate was significantly higher than in controls.
- • Complication incidence and need for repeat procedures were used as safety measures.
Limitations
- • Included case series and cohorts with inherent bias risk.
- • Volumetric measurement methods differed across studies.
What this study does not prove
- • This study does not prove SVF is an approved treatment or a replacement for standard care.
- • Limited follow-up cannot indicate long-term outcomes.
Clinical interpretation
Supports a CAL benefit for graft retention, with caveats about standardising cell preparation.
Evidence level: Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals