Safety and Efficacy of Autologous Stem Cell Treatment for Facetogenic Chronic Back Pain

Background: Chronic back pain due to facet joint syndrome is a common and debilitating condition. Advances in regenerative medicine have shown that autologous unmodified adipose tissue-derived regenerative cells (ADRC) provide several beneficial effects. These regenerative cells can differentiate into various tissues and exhibit a strong anti-inflammatory potential. ADRCs can be obtained from a small amount of fatty tissue derived from the patient’s abdominal fat. Methods: We report long-term results of 37 patients (age 31–78 years, mean 62.5) suffering from “Facet Joint Syndrome” The pathology was confirmed by clinical, radiological examinations and fluoroscopically guided test injections. Then, liposuction was performed. An amount of 50–100 cc of fat was harvested. To recover stem cells from adipose tissue, we use the CE-certified Transpose RT™ system from InGeneron GmbH. The cells were then injected under fluoroscopic control in the periarticular fat. Follow-up examinations were performed at 1 week, 1 year, and 5 years. Results: Every patient reported improved VAS pain at any follow-up (1 week, 1 year, and 5 years) with ADRCs compared to the baseline. Conclusions: Our observational data indicate that facet joint syndrome patients treated with unmodified adipose tissue-derived regenerative cells experience improved the quality of life in the long term.