Emerging approaches to the tissue engineering of fat

The eventual development of tissue-engineered fat equivalents for reconstructive and augmentation purposes will be most welcome by nearly every surgical discipline and prove to be especially useful for plastic surgeons. The clinical applications for which tissue-engineered fat will be particularly useful are vast and varied and can be loosely categorized into reconstructive, cosmetic, corrective, and orthotic indications. In this article, the authors discuss the emerging tissue-engineering strategies for fat, including the procurement of autologous cells, cell growth and differentiation, implantation and engraftment, polymer scaffolds, and implant integration and histogenesis.