Conclusion: Formation of new fat cells may occur in injected adipose tissue in response to basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF).
Objective: In an effort to prevent loss of fat volume and generation of additional adipose tissue after intracordal injection of autologous fat, the effects of injecting fat together with basic fibroblast growth factor bFGF were evaluated.
Materials and methods: Models of bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis were prepared using 12 beagle dogs. Autologous fat was injected into one vocal cord, and a mixture of autologous fat with bFGF, gelatin microspheres, and collagen sponge was injected into the other. Histologic reactions were examined over time.
Results: In vocal cords where autologous fat was injected together with bFGF, fusiform immature adipocytes were found in the injected fat at 8 weeks after injection. The volume of the injected fat was maintained almost completely even at 24 weeks after injection. Vocal cords where only autologous fat was injected showed a marked decrease in volume of injected fat over time.