New paper provides evidence for effectiveness of MFAT osteoarthritis treatment

A new peer-reviewed paper published in Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine 2020, a special issue of the journal Stem Cells International, offers clear evidence for the effectiveness of Micro-Fragmented Adipose Tissue (MFAT) in treating osteoarthritis of the knee.

The paper shows that, out of 110 knees assessed for patient-centred outcomes of pain, functionality and quality of life, 81% of people responded positively and had an improvement in their arthritis and a significant decrease in their experience of pain.

Conducted over 12 months on patients at The Regenerative Clinic in the Harley Street Medical Area, the results showed that more than four in five patients responded well to Lipogems, its MFAT treatment for arthritic knees. Their response was extremely promising and equivalent to those who opt for a total knee replacement.

Minimally invasive alternative
Simon Checkley, CEO of The Regenerative Clinic, says: “The potential is clear and we must now fully document the positive effects of using Mesenchymal stem cells, derived from fat, as an alternative for many orthopedic conditions. This is a minimally invasive procedure that can be an alternative to major surgery. It can even aid post-surgery recovery. There are no major incisions or cuts. It can help in injury or with a long-term condition that limits daily activity and as a minimally invasive alternative to pain relief. There is much more work to do in proving the value of this treatment and we now need to validate findings with a long-term randomised controlled trial.”

The Regenerative Clinic’s research team measured patient responses to the MFAT Lipogems treatment in two distinct ways: a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), which measures the level of the patient’s pain from zero (no pain) to 100 (maximum imaginable pain), and the Oxford Knee Score (OKS), which measures the functionality of the joint from zero (no function at all) to 48 (best possible functionality). Results were measured at three months, six months and 12 months post-procedure

The results of the VAS of 110 knees treated show that 81% responded to treatment. By the 12-month mark after the procedure, their degree of pain was less than the pain that they had prior to the treatment. On average, patients came in with a pain score of 75. This improved to a score in the region of 20 to 30, equating to an improvement of over 60%. The individuals who did not respond to the Lipogems treatment may have had an initial reduction in pain in the first three to six months, but this was not maintained at the one-year mark. The reasons for this are not entirely clear at this stage and further evidence gathering is required.

Comparable with knee replacement
The OKS results presented a similar rate of response, with 79% responding positively. On average, patients came to the clinic with an OKS below 20 and by the one-year mark this increased to approximately 35. These results are comparable with having a total knee replacement, but without any complications that are associated with surgery.

Seven of the participants’ OKS scores remained constant throughout (their mean OKS remained between 20-25, where it started out from), thus no change in symptoms was witnessed in this group.

Most patients presented with the most severe grading of arthritis on their x-rays: grade IV. The response witnessed in these patients was shown to be similar to those who had less severe forms of arthritis. In the grade IV group, 25 individuals were treated. Of these, only two did not respond to Lipogems.