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Published on: January 7, 2015
Autologous fat grafting: current state of the art and critical review
Richard J Ross1, Ramin Shayan, Keith L Mutimer
1From the *Taylor Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, University of Melbourne; †Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital and University of Melbourne, Parkville; and ‡Australian Catholic University, Victoria Pde, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia.
Background:
Despite the widespread use of autologous fat grafting in both reconstructive and cosmetic surgery, volume retention remains a significant problem. We aimed to critically appraise the current body of literature in fat grafting to provide a framework to guide application and comparison.
Method:
Search of scientific databases and gray literature was conducted. Articles examining nonadipogenic applications of adipose tissue and those specific to breast reconstruction were excluded.
Results:
One hundred three articles were included. These fell under the headings of donor site, effect of infiltration solution, harvest method, effect of centrifugation, reinjection method, supplementation, the role of adipose-derived stem cells, and scaffolding.
Conclusions:
Despite the significant research effort in this field, there remains no consensus as to the optimum technique. This stems from the vast array of research methods and short follow-up durations. Further, extrapolation of in vitro results to clinical settings has led to many conflicting practices.
