Clinical efficacy of cell-free fat extract and its effects on bone marrow edema in patients with early to mid-stage knee osteoarthritis: a clinical trial in comparison with hyaluronic acid.

研究概要

Forty-six patients with early to mid-stage knee osteoarthritis were randomized to receive either intra-articular Cell-Free Fat Extract (CEFFE) (n=26) or hyaluronic acid (HA) (n=26). Each group received five weekly injections of 2 ml. The primary outcome was clinical efficacy measured at 6 months, including VAS, WOMAC, and Lysholm scores. Secondary outcomes included MRI-based bone marrow edema grading at 6 months. Overall, the results revealed that both treatments significantly improved clinical symptoms and reduced bone marrow edema, but CEFFE demonstrated superior improvement in all measures at 6 months (P<0.05). These findings suggest that CEFFE may offer longer-lasting clinical improvement and better subchondral bone marrow edema reduction than HA.