Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34211557›Full record

ArticleStem cells international2021

Microfragmented Adipose Tissue Injection (MFAT) May Be a Solution to the Rationing of Total Knee Replacement: A Prospective, Gender-Bias Mitigated, Reproducible Analysis at Two Years.

Nima Heidari, Tiffanie-Marie Borg, Stefano Olgiati, Mark Slevin, Alessandro Danovi, Brady Fish, Adrian Wilson, Ali Noorani

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Stem cells international, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
16citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
3.3field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

16 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 21 citations in OpenAlex.

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  5. Adipose-derived and bone marrow aspirate concentrate injections for osteoarthritis: A scoping review.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitation · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Nima HeidariThe Regenerative Clinic, 18-22 Queen Anne Street, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3532-1096
Tiffanie-Marie BorgAcademic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Group, Barts and the London School of Medicine, London, UK.
Stefano Olgiatinext AI, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5181-8433
Mark SlevinDepartment of Life Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3767-4861
Alessandro DanoviDepartment of Quantitative Methods, University of Bergamo, 24129 Bergamo, Italy.
Brady Fishnext AI, London, UK.
Adrian WilsonThe Regenerative Clinic, 18-22 Queen Anne Street, London, UK.
Ali NooraniThe Regenerative Clinic, 18-22 Queen Anne Street, London, UK.
Manchester Metropolitan University · GBUniversity of Bergamo · ITUniversity of Ferrara · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundKnee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a significant cause of disability in a globally ageing population. Knee replacement surgery has been shown to improve function and quality of life. Access to this intervention can be limited for a number of reasons including rationing of care, lack of healthcare provision in austere environments, and more recently, due to the cessation of elective orthopaedic care as a result of the COVID pandemic. Referral for knee replacement surgery is often guided by the patient's Oxford Knee Score (OKS). Recent therapies including treatment with microfragmented adipose tissue (MFAT) have emerged as alternatives to relieve pain and improve function in such patients.

methodWe identified all patients with KOA Kellgren-Lawrence grade 3 and 4 in our dataset of patients treated with a single injection of MFAT and applied published OKS thresholds for referral for TKR to separate them into 3 cohorts according to their functional impairment. 220 patients (95 females, 125 males) with KOA were given one MFAT injection. The function (OKS) and quality of life (EuroQol-5) prior to and 24 months after therapy were compared.

resultsMFAT injection provided a statistically significant improvement in the quality of life (EQ-5D) at 24 months in patients with a baseline OKS of 39 or less (

conclusionMFAT injection improves quality of life in patients with KOA who are deemed suitable for the knee replacement. MFAT is a low-morbidity alternative biological treatment and can delay the need for total knee replacement in suitable patients.

Identifiers

PMID34211557
PMCPMC8211497
OpenAlexW3171488685

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.