Lipogems Adipose/Fat therapy is a gentle process that uses your body’s own fat tissue to cushion and support areas of injury or damage as your body heals itself. The adipose or fat is usually obtained from the stomach or thigh areas using a local anesthetic. Adipose/Fat therapies rinse, cleanse, and re-sizes the patient’s harvested fat. This harvested fat (referred to as MFAT which means microfragmented adipose tissue) is then precisely injected into the patient’s injured areas with the use of ultrasound guidance. It is especially effective for areas where there are soft tissue defects such as partial rotator cuff tears, patella tendon tears, labral tears, meniscal tears, and arthritis of the knee. Genesis Orthopaedic and Spine in Westfield and West Orange, New Jersey and serving all of Union county, Morris county, Middlesex county, and Somerset county including the surrounding towns of Cranford, Garwood, Clark, Scotch Plains, Mountainside, Springfield, Summit, Chatham, Millburn, Short Hills, Maplewood, Watchung, Berkeley Heights, Livingston, Union, Edison, Woodbridge, and Elizabeth offers Lipogems Adipose/Fat therapy, so call today or book an appointment online.

For appointments, call us or book online at any of our convenient locations in Middletown, Morristown, Ridgewood, Westfield, and West Orange.

What is Adipose/Fat Therapy?

Adipose/Fat therapy uses your own fat cells to cushion and support injured areas — including joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons — as they heal naturally. Adipose tissue, or fat, contains 100-500 times more reparative tissue components than other tissues like bone marrow and is one of the most easily harvested tissues in the body. This makes the Adipose/Fat procedure beneficial for many chronic injuries and pain conditions when you want to avoid surgery or other invasive procedures. Our physicians use a few different Adipose MFAT (microfragmented adipose tissue) therapies which include Lipogems.

How does Adipose/Fat Therapies work?

Adipose tissue contains regenerative cells, growth factors, and healing proteins called cytokines. Cytokines are immune cells that signal other tissues to regenerate, repair, or heal. When adipose tissue is harvested, processed, and injected into your injured tissues, it begins a cascade of immune responses that trigger cellular regeneration.

As your cells are repaired, the cytokines also reduce inflammation in the area. This reduces pain and swelling, making your joints or soft tissues function better. Since Adipose/Fat therapies work on a cellular level, the healing process can take several weeks or months, but it doesn’t prevent you for continuing your normal activities, like work, exercise, or recreation compared to surgical recovery.

What conditions can benefit from Adipose/Fat therapies?

Adipose/Fat is a treatment option for many chronic conditions, such as:

  • Partial rotator cuff tears
  • Patellar tendon tears
  • Labral tears in the shoulder and hip
  • Arthritis
  • Meniscus tears in the knee

Adipose/Fat can be used by adults of all ages and the team can help you determine if Adipose/Fat is the right solution for you based on a comprehensive consultation, physical exam, and imaging.

What should I expect when getting an Adipose/Fat therapy?

Before beginning your Adipose/Fat procedure, your provider injects the skin on your thighs or abdomen with a numbing solution to prepare for adipose tissue harvesting. Once you’re ready, your provider uses a sterile syringe to remove two to six tablespoons of fat from the harvest area. This adipose tissue is then sterilized and processed in the Lipogems device.

When processing is complete, your provider places your Adipose/Fat solution into a new syringe and injects it into the treatment area under ultrasound guidance for visualization purposes. This injection generally takes less than 10 minutes to complete. The entire procedure may take up to two hours in a single visit or it can be split into two visits to save you waiting time during the processing step.

Find out if Adipose/Fat therapies can help you by booking a visit online or by phone at Genesis Orthopaedic and Spine now.