Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the combined treatment of acupotomy subcision and Nanofat grafting in depressed scars.
Methods: A single-center retrospective analysis was performed on 32 patients with moderate to severe depressed facial scars treated between November 2020 and April 2023. The treatment involved acupotomy subcutaneous scrape, followed by Nanofat injection. Clinical assessments included measurement of scar concavity using a 3D camera, the Patient Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS), and a skin analysis system to evaluate collagen and elastin levels.
Results: The study found a significant reduction in scar concavity from a mean of -0.90 ± 0.44 mm pre-treatment to -0.10 ± 0.18mm six months post-treatment. POSAS scores showed substantial improvements in scar esthetics at 6 months post-operation. There was also a significant increase in skin elasticity and a decrease in skin collagen levels following treatment.
Conclusion: The combined application of acupotomy subcision and Nanofat grafting was effective in reducing the depression of depressed scars, leading to significant improvements in scar appearance and patient satisfaction. This approach offers a minimally invasive and effective treatment option for patients with depressed scars.
Level of evidence v: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
Keywords: Acupotomy subcision; Depressed scar; Nanofat injection; Needle knife scrape.
© 2025. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature and International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.