Restoration of the plantar fat pad with autolipotransplantation.

Atrophied fat pads may be replaced or supplemented with autolipotransplantation. The author reviews the history, theory, uses, and techniques for the adaptation of a cosmetic procedure to a therapeutic procedure for the foot. The first 50 patients are reviewed subjectively in this paper. All 50 patients were asymptomatic after the surgery. Forty-eight patients had a subjective feeling of an increased fat pad on the plantar surface of their foot. One patient had initial improvement but required additional transfers 6 months after surgery.