Efficacy of adipose stromal cells-enriched high-density fat graft combined with BTX-A for Raynaud's phenomenon: a prospective cohort study.

[BACKGROUND] Conventional treatments for Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) often show limited effectiveness due to their inability to address both vascular and inflammatory aspects. This study evaluates the combination of high-density fat grafting (HDFG) with botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) for treating RP.

[METHODS] Eleven patients with 20 affected hands diagnosed with RP were recruited and randomly assigned to receive either HDFG combined with BTX-A (intervention group, n = 11) or HDFG alone (control group, n = 9). Efficacy was assessed using Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain scores and McCabe Cold Sensitivity Scores, along with finger ulcer healing time and infrared thermal imaging to evaluate blood perfusion improvements.

[RESULTS] The HDFG-BTX group showed significant improvements in hand symptoms. VAS pain scores decreased from a pre-treatment mean of 5.33 to 0.84 post-treatment (mean reduction of 4.49, p = 0.018), indicating effective pain relief. McCabe scores improved from 272.73 to 75.00 (mean reduction of 197.73, p = 0.001), demonstrating reduced cold sensitivity. Ulcer healing time was shorter in the HDFG-BTX group (14.25 days) compared to HDFG alone (25.6 days, p < 0.001), highlighting faster recovery. Infrared imaging indicated significant enhancements in blood perfusion.

[CONCLUSION] HDFG combined with BTX-A is a reliable and beneficial intervention for RP, leading to high patient satisfaction.