Intra-articular fat grafting for pain relief and functioning improvement in patients with knee osteoarthritis: systematic review.
Marco Marcasciano, Alessandro de Sire, Marco Mollica et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review assessed studies of intra-articular autologous fat grafting for knee osteoarthritis. Of 460 articles screened, 15 met the review criteria. The included studies reported clinical and instrumental outcomes after treatment, and the authors described nanofat grafting as a promising approach. The review concluded that intra-articular fat grafting appears effective, while emphasizing the need for further research to establish nanofat’s efficacy and safety. The abstract does not provide pooled effect estimates or specific quantitative changes in pain or function.
Key findings
- Only 15 of 460 screened articles met the review criteria.
- All included studies reported clinical and instrumental outcomes after fat grafting.
- The authors characterized nanofat grafting as promising but called for further research on efficacy and safety.
Why it matters
The review brings together early clinical evidence on an evolving intervention for knee osteoarthritis, where pain and impaired function are important outcomes. Its findings may help clinicians understand the current evidence landscape, but the small number of eligible studies and absence of reported pooled estimates in the abstract mean that the apparent promise should not be mistaken for established benefit.
What to keep in mind
Only 15 studies met the review criteria, and the abstract reports no pooled effect estimates or specific outcome magnitudes.