Staged stem cell-enriched tissue (SET) injections for soft tissue augmentation in hostile recipient areas: a preliminary report.

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)

Background Autologous fat transplantation is frequently used for a variety of cosmetic treatments and difficult reconstructive indications such as involutional disorders, hemifacial atrophy, sequelae of radiation therapy, or similar problems. However, the limitations of fat transplantation are well known in such difficult cases, particularly the long-term unpredictability of volume maintenance. The ideal method of preparing autologous fat grafts optimizes tissue survival and reduces the variability of outcomes. We propose that enriching traditionally prepared fat grafts with adipose-derived regenerative cells (ADRCs) represents one such method. Methods Using a staged approach, we performed cell-enriched fat transfer by injecting autologous ADRCs into soft tissue that was recently grafted using traditional methods of fat transfer. Over a 3-year period, data were prospectively collected from 29 patients who underwent a single session of stem cell-enriched tissue injections (SET). Results Cell-enriched grafts ranged in volume from 10 to 390 cc per recipient area and were obtained by manual or automated processes. The mean follow-up period was 10 months. Postoperative atrophy of the injected tissue was minimal and subjectively did not change after 8 weeks. Of note, historically reported rates of atrophy range from 20 to 80%. All patients were satisfied with the primary result with

Evidence level

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

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