EFFECTS OF THE MICRO REINJECTION OF AUTOLOGOUS ADIPOSE TISSUE IN THE FACE OF PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS

This prospective single-center study evaluates a current care procedure. It includes 14 patients diagnosed with SSc according to the ACR/EULAR criteria or the Leroy \& Medsger criteria of the disease. Patients are enrolled if they wish for a therapeutic care of their face, have a Mouth Handicap in Systemic Sclerosis (MHISS) score greater than 20 (scale 0-48), a modified Rodnan skin score upper or equal to 1 on the face (scale 0-3), and a mouth opening less than 55 millimeters. They should not have anticoagulant, anti-platelets aggregation medication or a daily steroid dose upper 20mg per day. Their BMI should exceed 17. Micro fat grafting is a minimally invasive and usual procedure performed under local anesthesia. Fat tissue is harvested (around 50 milliliters) using a 14 gauge or 2 mm diameter cannula from areas around the knees, the abdomen or the hips under a gentle aspiration. Lipoaspirated fat is then filtrated by the PureGraft system that offers a sterile, closed, single-use system, leading to a fast, consistent and controlled preparation. Then, 10 to 25 milliliters of this purified fat product is transferred through a 21 gauge or 0.8 mm diameter cannula in two or four points of the face, with the entry points located around the mouth.