Intra-articular injection of autologous fat tissue in the treatment of patients with chronic knee pain due to osteoarthritis.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of autologous fat tissue injection into the knee joint for the treatment of osteoarthritis. We reviewed 165 patients who received an intra-articular injection of autologous fat tissue for knee osteoarthritis. The efficacy of the treatment was evaluated at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months follow-up using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and Oxford Knee Score (OKS). Patients with knee arthritis were classified as grades I-IV according to the Kellgren-Lawrence scale (K-L). The clinical and demographic information of the patients, NSAIDs or opioid use, and the side effects related to the procedure were recorded. There were 62 male and 103 female patients. The mean age was 61.28±11.4 years, and the mean BMI was 26.23±4.49. A significant improvement (p<0.001) was observed in VAS, WOMAC, and OKS values of patients with K-L grade I-III osteoarthritis. Patients with K-L grade IV osteoarthritis showed no statistically significant improvement. No serious complications were observed in the patients. In addition, a statistically significant decrease was found in the daily doses of paracetamol/tramadol and in the number of patients who continued to use NSAIDs after 12 months of follow-up. The results of the study suggest that minimally manipulated autologous fat tissue injections are effective and safe treatment methods for patients with grade I-III knee osteoarthritis. The results may not be satisfactory in severe osteoarthritis due to the limited capabilities.