Use of Autocollagen

Abstract

Introduction:

We developed an efficient procedure for separating autocollagen from adipose tissue. This involved the use of an electrical ultrasonic generator to break up fat cells and subsequent centrifugation. We have been using autocollagen as a dermal filler, substituting it for the popular bovine collagen, for the last 10 years. This study was performed to evaluate the actual amount of collagen content in autocollagen obtained with our method and to evaluate the clinical efficacy of our technique.

Materials and Methods:

Autologous fat harvested with liposuction is treated with ultrasonic homogenation for 2 minutes and then centrifuged at 1000 rpm for 3 minutes. The second layer of material present after centrifugation is autocollagen, which contains fragments of collagen fiber, elastic tissue, and disrupted fat cells. The extracted samples were subjected to hydroxyproline assay. One hundred sixty cases were followed after receiving autocollagen injections into the dermis to smooth out wrinkles.

Results:

The collagen content in our autocollagen was 4.0% (3.4–6.1%). Of the 169 patients treated with autocollagen injections, no infections or allergic reactions occurred during the follow-up. Most of the cases showed a recurrence of wrinkles after 6 months to 2 years. A few patients demonstrated a long-term improvement of their wrinkles (up to 6 years).

Discussion:

Autocollagen obtained by destroying fat tissue is a devitalized tissue and it is unlikely that it will survive after replantation in the human body. However, some patients showed pesistent corrections. Autocollagen is a safer and less expensive material and may provide a longer-term correction than bovine collagen implants for the correction of wrinkles.