Long-Term Biobanking of Intact Tissue from Lipoaspirate

Abstract

Autologous fat grafting has now been extensively and successfully performed for more than two decades. Although most adipose grafts and adipose-derived MSC therapies are done with fresh tissue, cryopreservation of tissue allows for much greater flexibility of use. Over the course of five years, 194 cryopreserved adipose samples were thawed and then returned to the collecting physician for subsequent autologous applications. Samples were stored with a mean cryogenic storage time of 9.5 months, with some samples being stored as long as 44 months. The volumes of tissue stored varied from 12 cc to as large as 960 cc. Upon thawing, the volume of recovered whole adipose tissue averaged 67% of the original amount stored for all samples, while the samples that were stored for longer than one year averaged 71%. Recovery was not found to be a function of length of time in cryopreservation. No significant relationship was found between tissue recovery and patient age. While an average recovery of 67% of volume frozen indicates that the use of banked and thawed tissue requires a larger amount of sample to be taken from the patient initially, an experienced clinician easily accomplishes this requirement. As cryopreservation of adipose tissue becomes more commonplace, physicians will find it helpful to know the amount and quality of tissue that will be available after thawing procedures.

Keywords: adipose tissue; autologous; cosmetic surgery; cryogenic storage; cryopreservation; fat grafting; lipoaspirate; regenerative medicine.

Figure 1

Long-term yield. Adipose tissue was stored for 38 patients for times longer than one year. Upon thaw an average of 71% of original tissue volume was available for subsequent use.

Figure 2

Percentage recovery shows little decline with age. The age of adipose tissue donors ranged from 27 years to 83 years. Regardless of donor age, there was no significant decrease in thawed tissue yield after cryopreservation.

Figure 3

Multiple thaws from same patient are similar. Large adipose samples were stored in multiple smaller aliquots. Individual patients (n = 9) are shown here as markers of the same style. Tissue yield from thaws procedures on different days show similar recovery levels.

Figure 4

No gross differences between fresh and frozen histology. Adipose tissue was mounted on slides and then stained with crystal violet. No differences in structure are observed in fresh or cryopreserved/thawed tissue.