Autologous Cryopreserved Adipose Tissue Using an Innovative Technique: An In Vitro Biological Characterization.

Background: The use of autologous adipose tissue transplantation in plastic and orthopedic surgery such as breast, reconstructions and intra-articular injection, has become an attractive surgical treatment with satisfactory clinical outcomes. Nevertheless, repeated liposuctions necessary to harvest fatty tissue normally performed with sedation or general anesthesia, may represent a noteworthy concern.

Objectives: To demonstrate through an in vivo characterization, the validity of the surgical option to use cryopreserved autologous adipose tissue harvested in a single shot for repeated graft transfer, in breast reconstruction, without impairment of cell viability and sterility.

Methods: Adipose tissue is collected as a standard liposuction from patients who need numerous fat grafting procedures for breast reconstruction. According to an innovative and patented cryopreservation method, autologous adipose tissue is subsequently fractioned in a sterile bag system and frozen at RER Tissue Bank of the Emilia Romagna Region. Each graft is evaluated for sterility and cell viability immediately after harvesting and 1, 3, 6, 12 and preliminarily 18 months after cryopreservation and thawing.

Results: In vitro results showed that after processing, middle, and long-term cryopreservation and subsequent thawing, autologous cryopreserved adipose tissue, retains absence of bacterial contamination, high cellular viability and unmodified histomorphological properties, thereby ensuring the maintenance of the stromal vascular niche and the filling properties in multi-step different surgical procedures.

Conclusions: In vitro study and sterility assessment, showed that autologous cryopreserved adipose tissue grafting is a safe procedure able to avoid multiple liposuction surgery. No impairment of either sterility, cell viability, and morphology were observed over time.