Aesthetic surgery journal
October 1, 2026 · via Europe PMC
Porous Architecture and Pressure-Induced Latent Injury: New Insights Into Large-Volume Fat Grafting.
Zhang Y, Li B, Liang J, +5 more, Dong Z.
AI summary — for doctors, generated from the abstract only
Mechanical pressure can silently damage the porous structure of large-volume fat grafts and lead to later necrosis and fibrosis.
What was studied
Laboratory study using a 3D human adipose tissue scaffold model cultured at 0, 6 or 12 mmHg, followed by transplantation of the viable layer into nude mice.
Key findings
- A porous interstitial network supported tissue survival to about 8 mm depth.
- Pressure reduced solute permeability from 76.4% to 21.3% and impaired viability, with molecular signs of latent injury.
- In mice, volume retention was similar but fibrosis rose from 22.1% in controls to 53.3% in the 12 mmHg group at 8 weeks.
Clinical relevance
Handling forces during harvest, processing and injection may influence long-term fat graft quality and cysts or fibrosis.
Who should care
Limitations
In vitro and nude-mouse model without human clinical data, so thresholds and effects in patients are unknown.
Minimise mechanical stress and pressure when harvesting, processing and injecting large-volume fat grafts.
This is an AI-generated summary of the published abstract, not a clinical recommendation. It may not reflect the full text or subsequent updates — verify against the original source before acting on it.
Abstract
Background
Large-volume autologous fat grafting for aesthetic augmentation is often complicated by cysts and fibrosis, suggesting that its survival mechanisms differ from those of small-volume grafts.
Objectives
This study aims to investigate the survival biology of large-volume fat grafts and evaluate the effects of mechanical pressure on tissue structure, viability, and long-term graft outcome.
Methods
A 3-dimensional in vitro model using human adipose tissue in a scaffold was established. Constructs were cultured under 0, 6, or 12 mmHg of pressure to assess structural integrity, solute permeability, cell viability, and molecular changes. The viable outer layer was then transplanted into nude mice to evaluate volume retention, necrosis, and fibrosis.
Results
In vitro, a porous interstitial network supported tissue survival to a depth of approximately 8 mm. Pressure dose-dependently disrupted this network, reducing solute permeability from 76.4% to 21.3% and impairing viability. Pressure also induced a form of "latent injury," consistent with Yes-associated protein-related mechanotransductive signaling, lineage-related molecular changes and metabolic stress. In vivo, although gross volume retention was similar among groups, pressure-conditioned grafts developed marked necrosis, with fibrosis increasing from 22.1% in controls to 53.3% in the 12 mmHg group at 8 weeks.
Conclusions
Large-volume fat graft survival depends in part on the integrity of a pressure-sensitive porous network. Mechanical pressure may induce a clinically relevant "latent injury," consistent with molecular changes observed in vitro, which may contribute to later fibrosis. Minimizing mechanical stress during harvest, processing, handling, and implantation may help preserve graft integrity and improve long-term outcomes.
DOI
10.1093/asj/sjag133
PMID
42372103
Research metadata (titles, abstracts, authors, publication dates) is sourced from Europe PMC, which aggregates content from PubMed/MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and other providers under the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM/NCBI). NLM does not claim copyright on abstracts; the original journal publishers or authors may hold rights to the full articles. AI-generated summaries are derived only from the abstract, never the full text, and are always labeled as AI-generated.
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