Collagen alterations in adipose autografts

The author describes the collagen alterations in adipose tissue autografts as evaluated by the Picrosirius red stain used with polarized light microscopy. Four female patients--candidates for classical abdomino-plasty--previously had adipose tissue autografts at the infraumbilical region. The grafting intervals were 60, 30, 21, 15, 12, 8, and 5 days prior to the abdominoplasty. The findings demonstrate a type I collagen capsule circumscribing the graft, besides several alterations in the synthesis, degradation, and remodeling of type I and type III collagen within the transplanted tissue. These alterations evolved in bands from the periphery to the central region of the graft disclosing a clear sequence of events. The completion of this process, from the collagen synthesis to its degradation, depends on the total volume injected at a single point and may take a few months to one year or more.