Microfragmented Adipose Injections

Microfragmented Adipose provides cushioning and structural support to the body’s tissue by utilizing the reparative cells in fat. Fat contains a variety of cells including adipocytes, pericytes, and stem cells, that when utilized in orthopedic medicine, can promote an environment that aids in the repair, replacement, reconstruction, and support of damaged or injured tissues. Because of its fatty property, a Microfragmented Adipose injection tends to stay in the affected area, allowing your body to maximize the benefits of the reparative cells without being reabsorbed by the body.

This simple, minimally invasive procedure removes a small section of fat that is processed in a special Microfragmented Adipose device using a sterile saline solution. The fat is then broken down into a smaller size, removing the blood, inflammatory cells, and fatty oils leaving only the desired, powerful fat behind. The resulting tissue is called Microfragmented Adipose. Your physician then will use a small needle to inject the Microfragmented Adipose tissue into the treatment site. The simplicity of the procedure means that it requires only local anesthesia and can be performed in approximately one hour in our state-of-the-art outpatient medical facility right here at Virginia Spine Institute.

Microfragmented Adipose injections are ideal for candidates looking for a minimally invasive alternative to a major surgical intervention. The following conditions may benefit from this procedure:

• Osteoarthritis of the joints including knee, hip, shoulder, and ankle joints
• Rotator cuff tears
• Labrum tears (shoulder)
• Meniscal (cartilage) tears in the knee
• Sacroiliac joint pain
• Lower back pain as a result of spinal facet pain or a pinched nerve
• Persistent partial tendon tears, such as tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, quadriceps and patellar tendon tears

On average, most patients start to see signs of improvement in the form of reduced pain or increased function within two to eight weeks. The timeframe for experiencing results is dependent upon the area of injury and the extent of injury. Continuing a well-designed course of physical therapy and avoidance of aggressive physical activity or overloading the injected tissues is advised in the weeks that follow the injections.