Effectiveness and Use of Autologous Fat Graft Injections in The Treatment of Base of Thumb Osteoarthritis: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis (TMOA) is a degenerative condition associated with pain, impaired hand function, and reduced quality of life. Autologous fat grafting has emerged as a potential minimally invasive treatment. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated its effectiveness and safety in patients with TMOA. A systematic search of CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and EMBASE was performed to identify eligible studies. Outcomes included pain, functional improvement, pinch or grip strength, quality of life, and complications. A single-arm random-effects meta-analysis was conducted using STATA, with pooled estimates and 95% confidence intervals. Five studies involving 152 patients/cases were included. At 12 months, autologous fat injection was associated with a statistically significant reduction in pain (p < 0.001), whereas the pooled improvement in pinch strength was not statistically significant (p = 0.16). Among 142 treated cases with available surgical-intervention data, 13 (9.15%) underwent subsequent surgery. However, the findings were limited by the small number of studies, methodological differences, and considerable heterogeneity. Autologous fat grafting may represent a promising minimally invasive option for symptomatic pain relief in patients with TMOA. Further high-quality comparative studies with standardized outcomes and longer follow-up are necessary to establish its clinical effectiveness and safety.