Preserved particulate fascia lata for injection: a new alternative

BACKGROUND. Preserved particulate fascia lata, derived from screened human cadavers, has recently become available. This injectable form of the material can be injected when soft tissue augmentation is desired. Historically, preserved fascia grafts have proven efficacy and an excellent safety record over the past 73 years. OBJECTIVE. TO examine the clinical response to preserved fascia lata injections in human subjects. METHODS. Clinical subjects (N = 81; 74 women, 7 men, age range 19-56 years) requiring deep, soft tissue augmentation to repair various cosmetic deficiencies were injected with a total of 109 syringes of preserved particulate fascia lata. Three different preparations-<2.0 mm, <0.5 mm, and <0.25 mm particle sizes-were hydrated in 3-5 cc of 0.3% lidocaine solution and injected with needles ranging in size from 16 to 25 gauge. RESULTS. The patients were followed for 6-9 months after implantation without incidence of infections, allergic reactions, or acute rejection. After the treatment day, patients experienced no further discomfort. No dermal inflammation was evident and the local echymosis associated with injections was typically minor. Soft tissue augmentation was evident 3-4 months after grafting or longer in most cases. CONCLUSIONS. This patient series indicates that injectable preparations of preserved fascia lata have the same high biocompatibility as experienced with whole-tissue implants. The safety record of preserved fascia lata implants is reviewed.