Arthritis in Sofia: When This Treatment Fits
Your case and test results are reviewed by a doctor before PRP and SVF cell therapy is offered as part of arthritis care for the knee, hand, shoulder and more
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?
Inflammation of a joint is what arthritis is. Its usual signs: pain at night and at rest, morning stiffness that takes over half an hour to wear off, swelling, redness and heat over the joint. Possible causes range from autoimmune diseases — rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis — to gout, infection or a previous injury.
PRP and SVF are there to help calm inflammation and pain and to support the joint's tissues; they do not stand in for a rheumatologist treating a systemic disease. The doctor first confirms what kind of arthritis it is and chooses the right time — never during an active joint infection or a severe flare.
No surgery — an injection instead of an operation
Ultrasound guidance for every injection
Free consultation and review of your scans
Joints we treat
Large and small joints — the doctor chooses the joint, the method and the number of injections after reviewing your scans
Elbow
Wear of the joint surfaces, and pain after overuse or strain from sport
Hand and wrist joints
Painful, stiff small joints of the wrist and fingers
Knee
Pain climbing stairs and after walking, plus cartilage wear and meniscus problems
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
Processing a small sample of adipose tissue from your body isolates the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) — cells that play a part in tissue repair. This is combined with your plasma and injected straight into the affected joint.
When the acute flare has died down, it can be used in inflammatory arthritis to act on local inflammation and help tissue repair.
PRP — platelet-rich plasma from your own blood
Separated from a small volume of your blood, plasma rich in platelets and growth factors is injected into the joint to help calm inflammation and create better conditions for tissue repair.
Recommended in some cases of rheumatoid and other inflammatory arthritis, it is one part of a broader treatment plan.
How the procedure goes: step by step
Consultation and scan review
The doctor decides on the procedure only after examining the joint and reviewing your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound. You are welcome to send any scans you have before the appointment.
Blood sample for PRP
From a small amount of blood drawn from a vein, platelet-rich plasma with growth factors is prepared later on.
The doctor tells you in advance which tests are needed.
Adipose tissue sample
A puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh, local anaesthetic and about 30 ml of adipose tissue taken — the site needs no stitches.
Processing in a centrifuge
In a centrifuge the sample separates into layers; the stromal vascular fraction is then isolated and mixed with the platelet-rich plasma.
The whole procedure is done in one day.
Injection into the joint
The prepared material is injected directly into the affected joint under ultrasound guidance, which helps place it 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 decides on the procedure only after examining the joint and reviewing your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound. You are welcome to send any scans you have before the appointment.
Blood sample for PRP
From a small amount of blood drawn from a vein, platelet-rich plasma with growth factors is prepared later on.
The doctor tells you in advance which tests are needed.
Adipose tissue sample
A puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh, local anaesthetic and about 30 ml of adipose tissue taken — the site needs no stitches.
Processing in a centrifuge
In a centrifuge the sample separates into layers; the stromal vascular fraction is then isolated and mixed with the platelet-rich plasma.
The whole procedure is done in one day.
Injection into the joint
The prepared material is injected directly into the affected joint under ultrasound guidance, which helps place it 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
The doctor uses follow-up visits to check the joint's response and adjust the plan — typically pain eases during the first month, movement gets better over about three months and the full effect develops across around six months.
Conditions we treat
Whether this treatment fits you is a doctor's decision, made after an examination and a scan review
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: a fever, cold or flu, or any skin inflammation over the joint planned for treatment
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
After the procedure most patients leave the same day and resume ordinary daily activity within a day or two, with small dressings on the puncture sites. Slightly more aching in the joint during the first week is an expected reaction. Pain generally eases in the first month, mobility and activity get better over about three months, and the full effect develops over roughly six months. Duration varies from one person to another depending on the stage of the condition, body weight, activity and other factors — nobody can promise a set outcome. If a rheumatologist is treating you, talk to them before you stop any prescribed medication.
Why patients choose City Medical Centre
Our focus is saving your own joint, not replacing it, through treatment without surgery
Your own tissue
Nothing donor or synthetic — only your own blood and adipose tissue are used
No crutches
Small punctures, not incisions, a local anaesthetic and no lengthy rehabilitation
Second opinion
Send X-rays, MRI results or reports and a doctor will assess them independently and free of charge
Support after the procedure
We track the result after the procedure and keep in touch, rather than stopping at injection day
Arthritis treatment prices
The joint, the type of arthritis and the method determine the cost — the doctor names it after the consultation
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?
Arthritis is an inflammatory disease of the joints. Typical signs are pain at rest and at night, morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes, swelling, redness and warmth over the joint. Causes include autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, infections, gout and psoriasis.
Can PRP help with rheumatoid arthritis?
To help lower local inflammation, pain and swelling, PRP may be used in rheumatoid and other inflammatory arthritis. Growth factors from platelets act on the immune response and on tissue repair. It supplements the treatment prescribed by your rheumatologist without replacing it.
Can psoriatic arthritis be cured?
Regenerative injections can be one part of the plan for psoriatic arthritis — a chronic disease that cannot currently be cured completely, where the aim is long remission, controlled inflammation and no joint deformity.
How does SVF work in autoimmune arthritis?
SVF brings cells able to modulate the immune response in the joint and to support repair of damaged tissue. This is an area of ongoing research, so expect the doctor to discuss realistic outcomes for your type of arthritis.
When is the treatment not suitable?
It is not done if there is an active joint infection, a severe flare, pregnancy, cancer or a blood clotting disorder. The doctor then postpones the procedure or offers another option.
How is knee arthritis different from osteoarthritis?
The difference: knee arthritis is inflammation from an autoimmune reaction, infection or gout (redness, warmth, marked swelling, tenderness to touch), while osteoarthritis is wear of the cartilage, usually with a dry crunch and aching pain on movement.
Why does an arthritic joint hurt even at rest?
Inflammation stimulates the joint's pain receptors non-stop: on movement, at rest, at night. Reducing the inflammation with treatment such as PRP and SVF can ease this pain.
Can joint injections be done during pregnancy?
No. Because pregnancy is a contraindication to joint injections, including PRP and SVF, arthritis treatment during pregnancy is only decided jointly by a rheumatologist and an obstetrician.
Can I get a second opinion on my tests and scans?
Yes. A free review by a doctor of your X-rays, MRI, ultrasound or blood test results will show whether regenerative treatment could suit your type of arthritis — send them to us.
What happens if rheumatoid arthritis is not treated?
Without treatment the condition can leave the joint permanently deformed, cause loss of function and osteoporosis, and damage internal organs like the heart, lungs and kidneys; timely treatment prevents these complications.
City Medical Centre licences
Other services at our clinic
Arthritis treatment in Sofia: a short guide
Arthritis treatment in Sofia 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.
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 Sofia, it is done in one day.
Book a free consultation in Sofia to find out whether PRP or SVF could help your arthritis. The doctor names the price after examining the joint.
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