FAT CYLINDER TRANSPLANTATION - AN EXPERIMENTAL COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF 3DIFFERENT KINDS OF FAT TRANSPLANTS

In an experimental comparative study, fat cylinders harvested with a n ew instrument were compared with excised fat and aspirated fat. In 12 New Zealand White rabbits, fat grafts of about 1 mi were transplanted from the fat pad between the shoulders to the scalp and rear side of t he ears by three different fat harvesting techniques. After 6 months, the change in the weight of each of the 36 specimens was measured. All specimens were freeze-cut after fixation and stained with Sudan IV, a fat-specific stain. They were examined under a light microscope and e valuated by computer-assisted image analysis. There was no statistical difference in the percentage change in weight between the excised fat and the fat cylinder groups (2 and 1 percent, respectively). For aspi rated fat, however, the difference was significant (-59 percent). Ther e also were significantly more surviving mature adipocytes in the fat cylinder group than in the aspirated fat group. We conclude that fat c ylinders harvested with the new instrument are as good grafting materi al as excised fat, while aspirated fat in this study was clearly infer ior for grafting.