The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a one-time injection of a person's own concentrated fat (micro-fragmented adipose tissue, or MFAT) can reduce pain and improve function in adults (ages 18-80) with chronic tendinopathy - tendon pain lasting more than 3 months (for example, in the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, or Achilles) - that has not improved with usual treatments such as physical therapy, cortisone shots, or platelet-rich plasma.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
This is a single-group study, so there is no separate comparison group; each participant's pain, function, and ultrasound results after treatment are compared with their own measurements taken before treatment.
Participants will:
Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
teg7008@med.cornell.edu
All participants receive a single, one-time autologous fat grafting procedure (no comparison group). A small volume of abdominal fat (5-15 cc) is harvested by manual liposuction under local anesthesia and concentrated by gentle manual rolling on non-adherent (Telfa) dressings to create micro-fragmented adipose tissue (MFAT). Under ultrasound guidance, the target tendon undergoes percutaneous tenotomy (needle fenestration) to disrupt scar tissue, followed by intratendinous injection of 1-3 cc of concentrated MFAT. Participants are then followed for 12 months with patient-reported pain and function questionnaires and ultrasound imaging. This is a single-arm, open-label study in which each participant serves as their own baseline control.
Treatment of Tendon Disease Using Autologous Adipose-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Microfragmented Adipose Tissue Compared to Saline Injection for the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis
The Effect of Micro Fragmented Adipose Tissue (MFAT) on Shoulder Osteoarthritis
High Volume Injection or Autologous Conditioned Plasma (ACP) in Chronic Achilles Tendinopathy
Microfragmented Adipose Tissue Compared to Corticosteroid Injection for the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis