Your feet take a pounding every day. Constant walking, repetitive motion, exercise, and shoes that may have little to no support contribute to the thinning of or damage to the fat tissue on the bottom of your feet. Fat pad atrophy is the loss of the protective layer on the bottom of the foot. When you experience fat pad atrophy, the thickness of the pad decreases, and you lose its shock absorbing capability, which is necessary to protect the bones and nerves in your foot. When the fat pad is gone, it can result in bruising of the bone and the formation of thick calluses as your feet try to compensate. It can feel like your bones are actually hitting the ground or like you are walking on rocks.
The skilled podiatrist at Central Kansas Podiatry Associates, Dr. Benjamin Weaver, understands that when your feet hurt, it’s hard to manage your daily routine, and fat pad atrophy can significantly reduce your quality of life. Here, he discusses Liposana, a ready-to-use allograft that provides immediate cushioning to support tissue repair in your feet.
Understanding Liposana Fat Grafting
Liposana is a minimally-invasive procedure that transplants fat cells to restore lost cushioning in the feet. Because the fatty layer under your foot can thin due to injury, excessive pressure, or aging, this technique was specifically designed to address the pain associated with fat pad atrophy.
How it Works
Liposana is an injectable human adipose (fat) tissue allograft used to restore the natural padding in the foot. This helps alleviate pain and provides shock absorption. The procedure involves implanting natural, ready-to-use tissue into areas with lost or damaged fat, such as the heel or ball of the foot, where it provides immediate cushioning. Over time, the implanted tissue integrates with the body's own tissue to provides a long-lasting solution. Here’s how it works:
- Prepping for the procedure. Dr. Weaver will clean the area and use a local anesthesia to numb your foot.
- Implanting the tissue. Dr. Weaver will inject the Liposana tissue graft into the specific foot area where the protective fat layer has been damaged or lost.
- Providing immediate support. The implant provides immediate support and cushioning, helping to reduce pain and protect the underlying bones and nerves.
- Integrating. The implanted tissue stimulates the body's natural regenerative process, allowing it to integrate with your native cells and be gradually replaced by your own tissue over time.
- Recovering. Patients can typically walk out of the office after the procedure and can often return to their normal activities with minimal downtime.
Liposana for Fat Pad Atrophy and Other Conditions
After Dr. Weaver meets with you to discuss your medical history, he’ll discuss your symptoms, overall health, and goals for treatment. He’ll also examine your feet to assess your specific fat pad loss and rule out any underlying conditions. If he determines there is fat pad atrophy, he may talk with you about Liposana. However, there are other foot conditions that might benefit from Liposana, including the following:
- Metatarsalgia - pain in the ball of the foot when the metatarsal bones, which connect the toes to the main part of the foot, become overloaded or inflamed
- Plantar heel pain
- Plantar ulcers and calluses
- Post-surgical corrections
The Difference Between Liposana and Autologous Fat Transfer
Liposana is a type of allograft, meaning it is tissue transplanted from a donor of the same species. Autologous fat transfer or fat grafting uses liposuction to harvest fat from one area of your own body and inject it into another.
Liposana
Here are some general facts about Liposana:
- The cryopreserved human adipose tissue is donated and ethically sourced and processed.
- It’s an "off-the-shelf" solution, with no need for a surgical harvesting procedure.
- As an allograft, there’s a remote risk of tissue rejection, although donor tissue is carefully screened to mitigate this.
Autologous Fat Transfer
Here are some general facts about autologous fat transfer:
- This process uses your own fat cells, which are harvested from a "donor" area, such as the abdomen, thighs, or flanks.
- This is a two-step surgical process. First, liposuction is performed to remove the fat. The harvested fat is then purified before being injected into the feet.
- The transferred living fat cells integrate with the new area to add permanent volume. However, not all the transferred fat cells survive, so some absorption is expected.
- Because the fat is from your own body, there is no risk of rejection or allergic reaction.
- It is a more complex surgical procedure than a Liposana injection.
- Multiple sessions may be needed to achieve the desired volume, as some fat is naturally absorbed by the body.
- Ideal candidates are generally healthy adults who have enough harvestable fat at the donor site (typically the belly or inner thigh).
The Potential Benefits of Liposana
There are other treatment options for fat pad atrophy and related foot pain, so you may wonder about the advantages of Liposana. Here are some key benefits:
- Long-lasting results. You rarely need extra treatments because Liposana transplants fat cells that integrate with the surrounding tissues for a permanent cushioning effect.
- Customizable treatment. Dr. Weaver can precisely target the injections to restore cushioning exactly where your foot needs it most. We can also tailor the amount of fat transferred to your foot.
- Convenient. Liposana is an in-office procedure performed under local anesthesia. You'll be able to walk immediately after and can typically resume your regular routine within a few days.
- Natural look and feel. Fat grafting provides cushioning that looks natural on the bottom of your foot.
- Improved foot function. By restoring your foot's natural padding, Liposana can help redistribute pressure more evenly across your foot as you walk and stand. Many patients report feeling more stable and comfortable on their feet.
While results vary from patient to patient, most of Dr. Weaver’s patients experience a significant decrease in foot pain and improvement in their quality of life. Many say they feel like they're walking on a pillow or a cloud.
Why Dr. Benjamin Uses Liposana
A common complaint Dr. Weaver hears from his patients is pain under the ball of the heel or foot. For many, this pain stems from a loss of the fat pads that naturally cushion the feet. It’s possible that custom orthotics or cushioned insoles could help; however, they don't address the underlying issue of fat pad atrophy. Liposana gets at the real problem and starts restoring the lost padding, and this long-term solution has lasting results.
Determining if Liposana Fat Grafting Is Right for You
If you suffer from foot pain related to a loss of natural cushioning, Liposana could be an excellent solution. However, the best way to determine if Liposana is right for you is to schedule a consultation with Dr. Weaver. As a Central Kansas podiatrist experienced in this innovative procedure, he will answer your questions and create a personalized treatment plan.
Contact Central Kansas Podiatry Associates to Discuss Liposana
Dr. Weaver and his associates understand that persistent foot pain is more than distracting. It can interfere with your daily activities and make it difficult to live life to the fullest. Sometimes that foot pain is caused by atrophy of the padding in your feet. Liposana is a beneficial treatment to restore that natural padding. However, this treatment isn’t right for every patient, so it’s important to discuss this treatment with Dr. Weaver. If Liposana is a good option for you, we can schedule your procedure, and you can take your first step to restoring your feet’s natural cushioning. The podiatry team at Central Kansas Podiatry Associates has the training to perform advanced tissue allograft procedures, and we want to help you get back to the activities you love without foot pain. Read our testimonials to learn how we’ve helped our patients with Liposana.