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Arthritis Treatment in Nantes with PRP and SVF

SVF cell therapy and PRP for the knee, hand, shoulder and other joints, used within arthritis care once a doctor has reviewed your tests and case

Consultation and review of your scansFree

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Knee joint: regenerative treatment without surgery
Joint treatment without surgery. Free consultation and review of your scans

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What it is

What is arthritis
and when does this treatment fit?

When a joint becomes inflamed, doctors call it arthritis. Common signs include night and resting pain, morning stiffness longer than half an hour, swelling, and redness with warmth over the joint. It can stem from autoimmune disease (rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis), gout, infection or an earlier injury.

  • No surgery — an injection instead of an operation
  • Own tissue — your blood and adipose tissue
  • Ultrasound guidance for every injection
Knee joint: an injection under ultrasound guidance

Who the treatment suits

A doctor decides whether the treatment suits you after examining you and reviewing your scans

Suitable

A doctor reviews knee X-rays with a patient
  • Pain, crunching or stiffness in a joint
  • Painkillers only help for a short time
  • Recovery after injuries and surgery
  • You need a second opinion on your scans
  • You want to avoid or postpone joint replacement
  • Early or moderate arthrosis or arthritis
  • High load on the joints — sport or physical work

Not suitable

A doctor examines a patient's knee
  • Cancer
  • Pregnancy
  • Blood clotting disorders
  • Acute infections, including infection in or near the joint
  • Flare-up of a serious chronic illness
  • Temporary contraindications: flu, a cold or fever, and skin inflammation over the joint to be treated

Not sure the treatment is right for you?

Leave your number — the coordinator will ask for your scans (X-ray, MRI or ultrasound), and the doctor will tell you whether treatment without surgery suits you.

Find out if it suits me

What we treat

Conditions we treat

How it works

How the procedure goes: step by step

Consultation and scan review1

Consultation and scan review

Whether the procedure suits you is decided once the doctor has examined your joint and reviewed your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound. If scans already exist, you can send them before visiting.

Blood sample for PRP2

Blood sample for PRP

A small amount of blood is taken from a vein. Platelet-rich plasma with growth factors is later prepared from it.

Adipose tissue sample3

Adipose tissue sample

Under local anaesthetic we take roughly 30 ml of adipose tissue through a single puncture on the abdomen or the inner thigh — no stitches required.

Processing in a centrifuge4

Processing in a centrifuge

Centrifuging the sample separates it into layers, after which the stromal vascular fraction is isolated and mixed into the platelet-rich plasma.

Injection into the joint5

Injection into the joint

Guided by ultrasound for accurate placement, the doctor injects the prepared material directly into the affected joint.

Follow-up6

Follow-up

You need neither crutches nor a hospital stay. The doctor stays in contact after the procedure and watches the joint's response.

Book a consultation

Call or message us — our coordinator will contact you shortly and book your consultation

A doctor talks with a patient about joint treatment
Book a consultation
A doctor talks with a patient about joint treatment

Results

After the procedure

  • Doctor talking warmly with a patient after the procedure

    1 week

    The joint may ache a little more — this is an expected reaction.

  • Doctor consulting an older patient one month after treatment

    1 month

    The pain usually eases.

  • Doctor explaining progress to a patient using a knee joint model

    ~3 months

    Mobility and activity improve.

  • Doctor and patient walking together at a follow-up visit

    ~6 months

    The full effect develops.

How long it lasts differs from person to person and depends on the stage of the condition, body weight, activity and other factors — no one can promise a fixed result.

Comparison

Methods we use

We use only your own adipose tissue and blood, with no synthetic or donor material

Cell therapy (SVF) from your own adipose tissue

To obtain the stromal vascular fraction (SVF), a mix of cells that support tissue repair, a small sample of your adipose tissue is processed. The SVF is combined with your own plasma and injected into the affected joint.

A doctor explains SVF cell therapy for the knee to a patient on a tablet

In cases of inflammatory arthritis it comes in once the acute flare has eased, for its effect on local inflammation and repair of tissue.

Material
Your adipose tissue and plasma
How it is given
Into the joint, under ultrasound
Duration
The whole procedure is done in one day.

PRP — platelet-rich plasma from your own blood

The joint receives plasma rich in platelets and growth factors, separated from a small amount of your own blood. It helps inflammation settle and creates better conditions for the tissue to repair.

A doctor explains PRP therapy for joints to a patient on a monitor

As one element of the whole treatment plan, it may be recommended in rheumatoid and other inflammatory arthritis.

Material
Your blood from a vein
How it is given
Into the joint, under ultrasound
Duration
The whole procedure is done in one day.

The benefits and timings shown are averaged and given for guidance: the plan and recovery depend on your joint and individual features, and the doctor confirms them at the consultation.

At the consultation the doctor will review your scans and suggest a treatment plan

Free consultation

Book a consultation

Joints

Joints we treat

Large or small joints: once your scans are reviewed, the doctor picks the joint, the method and the number of injections

  • KneeKneeMeniscus problems, cartilage wear, and pain on the stairs and after walking
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderWear in the joint and the tendons around it, painful arm raising
  • ElbowElbowPain after strain in sport or overuse, and worn surfaces inside the joint
  • Hand and wrist jointsHand and wrist jointsStiffness with pain in the small joints of the fingers and the wrist
  • AnkleAnklePain and stiffness after sprains and old injuries

Advantages

Why patients choose City Medical Centre

We aim to preserve your own joint instead of replacing it — treatment without surgery

Your own tissue

Your own tissue

We use only your own adipose tissue and blood, with no synthetic or donor material

No crutches

No crutches

Punctures in place of incisions, under local anaesthetic, without a long rehabilitation

Second opinion

Second opinion

A doctor independently assesses the X-rays, MRI or reports you send — free of charge

Support after the procedure

Support after the procedure

The result matters to us beyond injection day, so we stay in touch after the procedure

About the clinic

A clinic where you can feel at ease

Modern equipment, comfortable rooms and care for every patient

A doctor and a patient at the clinic

Contact us the way that suits you

We will answer your questions and find a convenient time for a consultation

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Request a free call

Price

Arthritis treatment prices

Price depends on the joint, the method and your type of arthritis, and the doctor names it after the consultation

FAQ

Joint treatment: frequently asked questions

About the conditions

More about these conditions

Other services of our clinic

Arthritis treatment in Nantes: what you should know

We work with inflammatory joint conditions of the knee, hand and wrist, shoulder, elbow, hip and ankle. Patients from Nantes can send their test results and scans for a free review.

Treatment starts with a consultation and a review of your scans and tests. Then blood and a small adipose tissue sample are taken, processed in a centrifuge and injected into the joint under ultrasound guidance. For patients from Nantes, it is done in one day.

Joint inflammation that does not settle? Book a free consultation in Nantes: the doctor reviews your case and suggests whether PRP or SVF makes sense now. The price is set individually.

Reading Nantes weather against your own joints

Nantes sits about 50 km from the Atlantic coast, and its climate is classed as oceanic. Across 1991–2020 the annual mean high was 17.1 °C and the mean low 8.3 °C. January averages 9.3 °C by day and 3.4 °C at night, while July reaches 25.1 °C and 14.3 °C. These are mild numbers, yet the year is not uniform. Relative humidity averages 81% over the year, rising to 89% in December and falling to 75% in July. Rain falls on 13.5 days in December against 7.1 in July.

This matters for inflammatory arthritis for one practical reason: you can test your own impressions. Many people say their joints feel worse "when the weather turns", and the doctor will not assume that is true or false for you. A few months of notes show whether your worse days line up with damp December stretches, with a sudden cold night, or with nothing outside at all. Often the pattern turns out to follow a missed medicine, a poor night's sleep or a busy week, and you will want to know that too.

The records are 42.1 °C and −15.6 °C, so a sharp swing is possible even in a mild city. If a flare arrives after an unusual spell, write the date beside it. The point is not to blame the weather. It is to give the doctor a record that is more reliable than memory.

Keeping a flare log the doctor can read in two minutes

Inflammatory arthritis has a recognisable signature, and your notes should follow it. The signs to record are pain at night or at rest, morning stiffness lasting longer than half an hour, swelling, and a joint that is red and warm. Each day, write a short line on each of these rather than a general "bad day". For example: "stiff from waking until mid-morning, left wrist swollen, knee calm".

Useful columns for a simple table or phone note:

- the date and the joint involved;

- how long morning stiffness lasted, estimated by the clock;

- whether the pain woke you or was present at rest;

- visible swelling, redness or warmth to the touch;

- any fever, cold, flu or skin irritation over the joint, because these are temporary reasons to postpone injections;

- what you took for the pain and how long it helped, since painkillers that only work briefly are an important detail;

- the day's weather in a few words, if you want to test the pattern.

Add a separate line for anything that looks like a possible joint infection: sudden heat, severe swelling, feeling unwell. This is not something to record and wait on. The treatment described here is not done during an active joint infection or a severe flare, so a sudden change should go to your own physician first.

Bring the log to the consultation along with your scans. It helps the doctor to confirm the type of arthritis. Autoimmune forms such as rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis, gout, infection and an old injury can all inflame a joint, and they are handled differently.

Timing: why the calm between flares matters

For inflammatory arthritis, PRP and SVF are considered only after the acute flare has settled. PRP, made from a small sample of your own blood, may be advised in rheumatoid or other inflammatory arthritis, always as one part of the overall plan. SVF comes from your own adipose tissue: about 30 ml is taken under local anaesthetic through one puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh, spun in a centrifuge, and combined with your plasma. The mixture is injected into the joint under ultrasound guidance, and the whole procedure takes one day.

Your diary therefore has a second use. It shows when a flare began, how long it lasted and whether it has really quieted. The doctor can then decide on timing rather than guessing from a single day's examination.

It is also important to be clear about the limits. Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease treated by a rheumatologist. These injections do not cure it and do not replace your prescribed therapy. Psoriatic arthritis is chronic and cannot currently be cured completely. The realistic aim is to keep inflammation in check and protect the joint, and regenerative injections are only one possible part of that.

After an injection, the expected course is gradual. In the first week the joint may ache a little more, which is an expected reaction. Around one month the pain usually eases, at about three months mobility and activity improve, and by about six months the full effect develops. These are averaged guides. The effect depends on the stage of the condition, body weight, activity and other factors, and no one can promise a fixed outcome.

French coverage, specialist access and where an online opinion fits

Nantes is the prefecture of Loire-Atlantique and of Pays de la Loire, with 327,734 inhabitants in 2023 and a metropolitan area above one million. A city of this size has a large number of health professionals, but arthritis care still depends on how the French system is organised, so it helps to know the basics.

Public cover is nearly universal: 99.9% of the French population is covered, and the main fund insures about 84% of the population. The system generally refunds 70% of most costs, and about 85% of people hold complementary private insurance, known as a mutuelle, which is designed to fill part of the remaining share. Some of these figures come from older sources, so treat them as a general picture. Your own contract, and what it says about specialist visits and injections, is what counts. Your mutuelle's customer service can tell you what applies to you.

Access to specialists has historically varied. An older survey reported that 53% of people obtained a specialist appointment within a month, while 28% waited more than two months. That is dated information and may not describe Nantes today. If you are waiting for a rheumatology appointment, an online consultation can help in a limited way. A doctor reviews your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound and gives a second opinion on whether regenerative treatment could suit your type of arthritis. The consultation and scan review are free. It does not replace your rheumatologist and it does not change your prescribed medicines.

Ask your coordinator any question about how the plan is arranged. The price of treatment depends on the joint, the method and the type of arthritis, and the doctor gives it only after the consultation.

Preparing for the video consultation

A good consultation starts with the right files. Collect whatever imaging you already have: X-rays, MRI or ultrasound, as image files or reports. Blood test results that mention inflammation or autoimmune markers are helpful too. Photograph any swollen or red joint in daylight on the day it looks worst, since by the time of the call it may have calmed.

Write a short list of points:

1. the joints involved, and which one bothers you most;

2. when the problem began and what you think set it off;

3. the diagnosis you have been given, and by which specialist;

4. all medicines you take for the joints, and any recent change;

5. pregnancy, cancer, a blood clotting disorder or a recent infection, because these affect whether the procedure can be done;

6. what you want: less night pain, easier mornings, delaying a joint replacement, or a second opinion on your scans.

Coordinators answer on WhatsApp and Telegram round the clock, so you can send files in the evening and have them ready for the doctor. Because the doctor checks the joint during the video call, choose a spot with good light and wear something that lets you show the knee, hand, shoulder or ankle.

Fitting the calendar around a treatment plan

Nantes has a rhythm that is worth thinking about when you plan a procedure day and the following week. The tramway has 3 lines covering 43.5 km, and there are 103 Bicloo bike stations with 880 bicycles. Walking and short rides are part of daily life for many. After an injection there are no crutches and no hospital stay, but the first week can bring a little extra aching, so plan lighter days and avoid a heavy schedule.

France has 11 public holidays, including 1 November, 11 November and 25 December. They affect when your own physicians and pharmacies are available, so if you want a letter, a prescription renewal or a blood test before the procedure, arrange it ahead of a holiday week. Online coordinators are available round the clock, but your own services may not be.

Green space is 41% of the city, with 100 public parks covering 218 ha. Gentle walking on flat ground is a sensible way to stay active between flares. The doctor will tell you what level of activity is suitable for your joint after the procedure, and that advice outweighs any general rule.

Can the damp Nantes winter be a reason to postpone a joint injection?

Weather alone is not a stated reason for postponement. Fever, a cold or flu, skin inflammation over the joint, an active joint infection or a severe flare are. December is the wettest month here, at 101.0 mm of rain and 89% humidity, so many people simply schedule a time when they feel well. Your diary will show the doctor how your joint behaves in those weeks.

Do I need a rheumatologist in France before an online consultation?

It is strongly advised if you have a systemic disease such as rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis, because that disease is treated by a rheumatologist and the injections only supplement the plan. If you have no diagnosis yet, the doctor can look at your scans and symptoms and suggest that you have the type of arthritis confirmed first.

How does French reimbursement affect the planning?

The public system covers 99.9% of the population and generally refunds 70% of most costs, with about 85% of people holding a mutuelle. Whether your insurer reimburses any part of this online consultation or treatment depends on your own contract. Ask your insurer before you decide, and ask the coordinator for a written summary of the plan after the consultation.

How long should I keep a diary before the consultation?

Any period helps, but a few weeks that include at least one calmer stretch and one worse stretch are more informative than a single day. Do not delay the consultation to gather more notes. Send what you have, and keep adding to the log afterwards, because it also shows how the joint responds after the injection.

What if my joint becomes hot and very swollen just before the booked day?

Contact your own physician promptly and tell the coordinator. A severe flare or an active joint infection means the procedure is not done. The doctor postpones it or suggests another option.

Can I send scans taken at a Nantes hospital or radiology centre?

Yes. X-rays, MRI or ultrasound images and the written reports can be sent through the coordinator on WhatsApp or Telegram. Image files are more useful than paper photographs, and the reports help the doctor understand what the radiologist saw.

Are the injections painful, and do I need to take time off?

The adipose tissue sample is taken under local anaesthetic through one puncture, and no stitches are needed. The joint may ache a little more during the first week, which is an expected reaction. There are no crutches and no hospital stay, but you should ask the doctor how much activity suits your joint and your work.

Does an online review cost anything?

The consultation and the review of your scans are free and carry no obligation to book. Prices for PRP or cell therapy are given by the doctor only after the consultation, because they depend on the joint, the method and the type of arthritis.