"Mother Nature put in this piece of fat that's in our knee. It's called the fat pad, and we looked at the fat pad and it contains a very high number of stem cells," Dragoo said.

The fat pad is a dense structure behind the patella, or kneecap, that is unlike typical fat tissue found throughout the body, the researchers said.

Conclusion Tendon-fat pad separation may be a safe and technically simple intervention that can reduce patellar tendon pain and facilitate an early return to sport for in-season athletes.

UPDATED: March 21, 2024 at 8:42 AM MDT A Louisville company is studying whether cells taken from patients’ fat could reduce knee pain and improve motion in people with arthritis.