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Keren et al. Plast Aesthet Res 2017;4:97-103 Plastic and
DOI: 10.20517/2347-9264.2017.14
Aesthetic Research

www.parjournal.net
Original Article Open Access

A new tool to assess human fat grafts

transplanted into nude mice using a nuclear

magnetic resonance device

Aviad Keren , Simon Filson , Nadia Smirnov-Shalom , Amos Gilhar , Yehuda Ullmann 1,2
1
1,2
2
2
1 Skin Research Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3525422, Israel.
2 Department of Plastic Surgery, Rambam Health Care Centre, Haifa 3525408, Israel.
Correspondence to: Prof. Yehuda Ullmann, Department of Plastic Surgery, Rambam Health Care Centre, Haifa 352540, Israel.
E-mail: y_ullmann@rambam.health.gov.il
How to cite this article: Keren A, Filson S, Smirnov-Shalom N, Gilhar A, Ullmann Y. A new tool to assess human fat grafts transplanted into nude mice
using a nuclear magnetic resonance device. Plast Aesthet Res 2017;4:97-103.

Prof. Yehuda Ullmann is the Head of the Plastic Surgery Department and Aesthetic Services at Rambam Healthcare
Campus in Haifa, Israel. In addition, he is an Associate Clinical Professor of Plastic Surgery at the Rappaport
Faculty of Medicine at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. His research interests include increasing viability
of autologous fat transplants, wound healing especially burns, and also reconstructive and aesthetic surgery. He
has published over 120 articles in peer-reviewed journals. He is also an internationally acknowledged expert in the
use of laser and IPL technologies. Until recently, he served as the President of the Israel Society of Plastic Surgery.

ABSTRACT
Article history: Aim: Over the past two decades, there has been a dramatic increase in the research of the
Received: 20-02-2017 use of autologous fat grafting in clinical practice. Despite the many advantages this method
Accepted: 02-06-2017 possesses, the unpredictable fat resorption rates limit its use. The primary aim of this
Published: 27-06-2017 study was to develop an accurate, quick, non-invasive assessment tool, using the nuclear
magnetic resonance (NMR) technique, which allows the injection of fat in small droplets
Key words: rather than in large aliquots (the main drawback of our formerly described method) which
Nuclear magnetic resonance, allows assessment of fat retention in a more clinically relevant way. Methods: A total of
fat, 7 nude mice were transplanted with human fat using the Coleman technique. Pre- and
transplantation, post-transplantation and then once weekly, mice were analyzed using an NMR scanner.
mouse, At the end of the 7-week experimental period the mice were sacrificed. Results: Seven
model weeks following transplantation 7 mice demonstrated a decrease of 40% of their average
fat content compared to immediately post transplantation (standard deviation of 18%).
All mice followed the same trend, and the low standard deviation throughout emphasizes
the accuracy of NMR as a reliable assessment tool. Conclusion: This preliminary study
demonstrates that NMR is a reliable and accurate tool to assess fat content, and has allowed
development of a clinically relevant animal model for human fat transplantation.

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