Clinical use of autologous micro-fragmented fat progressively restores pain and function in shoulder osteoarthritis

Aim: We aim to show that the use of nondigested micro-fragmented adipose tissue (MFat™, Lipogems^®) is a viable alternative for treatment of joint pain and inflammation associated dysfunction in shoulder osteoarthritis (OA). Materials & methods: A total of 25 subjects with OA received an injection of MFat™ and were followed at 6, 18 and 52 weeks intervals. Quantitative analysis of pain and function modalities were performed using the visual analog scale and the disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand, respectively. Results: All study participants reported significant progressive improvement (p < 0.001) from baseline in visual analog scale and disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand in shoulder OA cases up to a year post. Conclusion: MFat™ therapy improves pain and function in patients with shoulder OA and can provide a long-term alternative to surgical intervention.