Intra-articular injection of stromal vascular fraction for knee degenerative joint disease: a concise review of preclinical and clinical evidence

Autologous fat-derived stromal vascular fraction (SVF) is a mixed cell population that has been used for many years in regenerative plastic surgery. In terms of animal and clinical research, this concise review was performed to evaluate the efficacy of SVF in knee degenerative joint disease (KDJD), which could cause pain, disability and severely affect patients’ lives. Thirteen studies retrieved and screened from the databases were included, including six animal studies and seven clinical trials. The meta-analysis of clinical research shows that intra-articular injection of SVF, in combination with adjuvant surgery, could alleviate pain and improve early functional recovery for patients with KDJD at Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grades II–III.