Adipose tissue and fat-derived products in wound, ulcer, and scar management: a systematic review

TL;DR

This review explores how fat tissue and its derivatives can help heal wounds, ulcers, and scars more effectively than traditional treatments.

Contribution

The study systematically evaluates the effectiveness of adipose-derived therapies in wound healing and scar management.

Findings

Adipose-derived therapies significantly improve wound healing and reduce pain.

They enhance cosmetic appearance and patient satisfaction compared to conventional treatments.

The therapies show a favorable safety profile across various wound types.

Abstract

Adipose-derived therapies hold promise in addressing the increasing prevalence of skin wounds, scars, and ulcers. This systematic review, conducted following the PRISMA guidelines, evaluates the therapeutic potential of adipose derived stem cells for improving wound healing, scar development and ulcer management.

An extensive search was conducted across PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Central, and LILACS. The search strategy employed a combination of keywords and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms related to “adipose tissue”, “fat derivatives”, “ulcers”, “wound healing”, and their synonyms, covering articles published from inception to October 2024. Our search yielded 589 records, with 16 randomized clinical trials and two ongoing studies meeting inclusion criteria after screening and full-text assessment.

Findings indicate that adipose-derived therapies significantly enhance wound healing, reduce pain, and improve cosmetic appearance, patient satisfaction, and health-related quality of life compared to conventional treatments.

These therapies demonstrate efficacy across various wound types and scars, with a favorable safety profile. However, further standardized protocols and large-scale randomized trials are essential to validate these outcomes and assess longterm safety. While adipose-derived therapies show promise in enhancing wound healing and managing scars, ongoing research is essential to facilitate their integration into routine clinical practice.

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024503209, PROSPERO CRD42024503209.

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