Arthritis Treatment for Patients from Pretoria
Arthritis care for the knee, hand, shoulder and other joints can include PRP and SVF cell therapy, always after a doctor checks your case and tests
No surgery — an injection instead of an operation
Own tissue — your blood and adipose tissue
Ultrasound guidance for every injection
Free consultation
and review of your scans
What is arthritis
and when does this treatment fit?
With arthritis, a joint is inflamed. Signs to watch for: pain while resting and at night, morning stiffness lasting more than half an hour, swelling, redness and warmth over the joint. There are several causes — autoimmune conditions (rheumatoid, psoriatic arthritis), gout, infection or an injury from the past.
Helping to reduce inflammation and pain and to support tissue inside the joint — that is the role of PRP and SVF, alongside, not instead of, a rheumatologist's care for a systemic disease. The doctor first confirms the type of arthritis and waits for the right moment, never acting during a severe flare or an active joint infection.
No surgery — an injection instead of an operation
Ultrasound guidance for every injection
Free consultation and review of your scans
Joints we treat
Small joints as well as large — the doctor reviews your scans and then chooses the joint, the method and how many injections to give
Elbow
Wear on the joint surfaces and pain after overuse or sports strain
Hand and wrist joints
Small finger and wrist joints that feel stiff and hurt
Knee
Meniscus issues and cartilage wear, with pain after walking or on stairs
Hip
Early hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
Ankle
Pain and stiffness after sprains and old injuries
Shoulder
Raising the arm hurts; the joint and the tendons around it are worn
Methods we use
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.
For inflammatory arthritis it is applied after the acute flare has calmed, because of its effect on local inflammation and on tissue repair.
PRP — platelet-rich plasma from your own blood
From a small amount of your blood, plasma rich in growth factors and platelets is separated and injected into the joint. It helps to calm inflammation and creates better conditions for repairing tissue.
It may form one part of the overall treatment plan in rheumatoid and other types of inflammatory arthritis.
How the procedure goes: step by step
Consultation and scan review
The doctor checks the joint, goes through your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound and decides if the procedure suits you. If you have scans already, feel free to send them before you come.
Blood sample for PRP
Blood is taken from a vein in a small amount, later to be turned into platelet-rich plasma with growth factors.
The doctor tells you in advance which tests are needed.
Adipose tissue sample
Under local anaesthetic, a small portion of adipose tissue (about 30 ml) is taken through a puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh. No stitches are needed.
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.
The whole procedure is done in one day.
Injection into the joint
We inject the prepared material right into the affected joint, guided by ultrasound so that it is placed precisely.
Follow-up
Crutches and a hospital stay are not needed. The doctor keeps in contact afterwards and monitors how the joint is responding.
Consultation and scan review
The doctor checks the joint, goes through your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound and decides if the procedure suits you. If you have scans already, feel free to send them before you come.
Blood sample for PRP
Blood is taken from a vein in a small amount, later to be turned into platelet-rich plasma with growth factors.
The doctor tells you in advance which tests are needed.
Adipose tissue sample
Under local anaesthetic, a small portion of adipose tissue (about 30 ml) is taken through a puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh. No stitches are needed.
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.
The whole procedure is done in one day.
Injection into the joint
We inject the prepared material right into the affected joint, guided by ultrasound so that it is placed precisely.
Follow-up
Crutches and a hospital stay are not needed. The doctor keeps in contact afterwards and monitors how the joint is responding.
Follow-up visits
With follow-up visits the doctor can see how the joint responds and change the plan if needed. As a rule, pain eases in the first month, mobility improves across about three months, and the full effect takes around six months to develop.
Conditions we treat
After an examination and a look at your scans, a doctor decides if the treatment is right for you
What we work with
Arthritis
Arthrosis
Avascular necrosis
Osteoarthritis
Gonarthrosis (knee osteoarthritis)
Coxarthrosis (hip osteoarthritis)
Meniscus pathology and injury
Rehabilitation after injuries and surgery
Inflammatory joint conditions
Contraindications
Cancer
Pregnancy
Blood clotting disorders
Acute infections, including infection in or near the joint
Flare-up of a serious chronic illness
Cancer
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Serious heart, kidney or liver disease
Temporary contraindications: inflamed skin above the treated joint, fever, a cold or the flu
Book a consultation
Call or message us —
our coordinator will contact you shortly
and book your consultation
Book a consultation
Call or message us —
our coordinator will contact you shortly
and book your consultation
After the procedure
Most people are home the same day and back to their usual routine within a day or two, the puncture sites covered with small dressings. The joint may ache a little more during the first week, as expected. Over the first month the pain usually eases, over about three months mobility and activity improve, and the full effect builds over around six months. How long it holds varies individually with the stage of the condition, body weight, activity and other factors, so no fixed result can be promised. If a rheumatologist treats you, do not drop your prescribed medication without consulting them.
Why patients choose City Medical Centre
Our focus is saving your own joint, not replacing it, through treatment without surgery
Your own tissue
The treatment relies only on your own blood and adipose tissue, not on donor or synthetic material
No crutches
Under local anaesthetic, through punctures instead of incisions, with no long rehabilitation afterwards
Second opinion
Share your X-rays, MRI or reports and get a doctor's independent assessment at no cost
Support after the procedure
After the injection day we stay in touch and keep following the result
Arthritis treatment prices
After the consultation the doctor names the cost, which depends on the joint, the arthritis type and the method
Service
Price
Book a consultation
Call or message us —
our coordinator will contact you shortly
and book your consultation
Book a consultation
Call or message us —
our coordinator will contact you shortly
and book your consultation
Joint treatment: frequently asked questions
What is arthritis and what are its symptoms?
In arthritis the joints are inflamed. People usually notice pain at night and at rest, stiffness in the morning that lasts more than 30 minutes, swelling, and redness and heat over the joint. It can be caused by autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, by infections, by gout or by psoriasis.
Can PRP help with rheumatoid arthritis?
In rheumatoid and other inflammatory arthritis, PRP may be used to help ease local inflammation, pain and swelling. The growth factors that platelets release affect the immune response and tissue repair. It adds to, but does not replace, the treatment your rheumatologist prescribes.
Can psoriatic arthritis be cured?
As a chronic disease, psoriatic arthritis cannot yet be cured completely; treatment works towards long remission, controlled inflammation and prevention of joint deformity. Regenerative injections can be part of that plan.
How does SVF work in autoimmune arthritis?
Cells contained in SVF may modulate the local immune response and support the repair of damaged tissue in the joint. Because research is ongoing, your doctor will go over realistic expectations for your particular type of arthritis.
When is the treatment not suitable?
If you have an active joint infection, a severe flare, cancer or a blood clotting disorder, or are pregnant, the procedure is not done; the doctor postpones it or offers another option.
How is knee arthritis different from osteoarthritis?
Knee arthritis is inflammation caused by an autoimmune reaction, infection or gout: redness, warmth, marked swelling and tenderness to touch. Osteoarthritis is wear of the cartilage and usually shows as a dry crunch and aching pain on movement.
Why does an arthritic joint hurt even at rest?
The joint's pain receptors are stimulated by inflammation continuously: during movement, at rest and at night. Easing this pain is possible with treatment that reduces inflammation, including PRP and SVF.
Can joint injections be done during pregnancy?
No. In pregnancy, joint injections such as PRP and SVF are contraindicated, and any arthritis treatment is decided only together with a rheumatologist and an obstetrician.
Can I get a second opinion on my tests and scans?
Yes — a doctor will look through your X-rays, MRI, ultrasound or blood test results free of charge and tell you whether regenerative treatment could fit your type of arthritis.
What happens if rheumatoid arthritis is not treated?
Timely treatment is needed, because without it the disease can lead to permanent joint deformity, loss of function, osteoporosis and damage to internal organs such as the heart, lungs and kidneys.
City Medical Centre licences
Other services at our clinic
Arthritis in Pretoria: types, methods and price
Arthritis treatment in Pretoria uses your own tissue: platelet-rich plasma from a small blood sample and the stromal vascular fraction from a small adipose tissue sample. There is no donor or synthetic material.
An arthritic joint hurts even at rest because inflammation keeps stimulating pain receptors. For patients from Pretoria, treatment aimed at reducing that inflammation can ease pain at rest and at night.
Leave a request, and a coordinator will contact you to arrange a free consultation. The price of arthritis treatment in Pretoria is explained before any procedure.
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