City Medical Centre · multi-specialty surgery clinicOpen 24/7
EN
Message us on Telegram

Arthritis Treatment in The Hague with PRP and SVF

A doctor looks at your case and tests first, then PRP and SVF cell therapy can become part of arthritis care for the knee, hand, shoulder or other joints

Consultation and review of your scansFree

Message us on WhatsApp

Free online consultation · Reply within 15 minutes

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

Message our coordinator

Free online consultation · Reply within 15 minutes

Message us on Telegram

By messaging us, you agree to our Privacy Policy

What it is

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.

  • 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

Your scans are reviewed and you are examined before a doctor decides whether the treatment suits you

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: skin inflammation over the target joint, or a fever, a cold or flu

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

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 PRP2

Blood sample for PRP

From a small amount of blood drawn from a vein, platelet-rich plasma with growth factors is prepared later on.

Adipose tissue sample3

Adipose tissue sample

Roughly 30 ml of adipose tissue is removed through a puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh under local anaesthetic, and no stitches are needed afterwards.

Processing in a centrifuge4

Processing in a centrifuge

The stromal vascular fraction is isolated after the sample is spun in a centrifuge and separates into layers, then mixed with the platelet-rich plasma.

Injection into the joint5

Injection into the joint

We inject the prepared material right into the affected joint, guided by ultrasound so that it is placed precisely.

Follow-up6

Follow-up

After the procedure there is no hospital stay and no need for crutches; the doctor stays in touch and follows the joint's progress.

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

Only material from your body — your blood and adipose tissue — and nothing synthetic or from a donor

Cell therapy (SVF) from your own adipose tissue

We take a small sample of your adipose tissue and process it to isolate the stromal vascular fraction (SVF), a mix of cells that take part in tissue repair. It is then 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

When the acute flare has died down, it can be used in inflammatory arthritis to act on local inflammation and help tissue repair.

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

Plasma rich in platelets and growth factors is separated from a small amount of your blood and injected into the joint. It helps calm inflammation and creates better conditions for tissue 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

The doctor looks at your scans and then chooses which joint to treat, which method to use and how many injections — for large and small joints alike

  • KneeKneeMeniscus issues and cartilage wear, with pain after walking or on stairs
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderRaising the arm hurts; the joint and the tendons around it are worn
  • ElbowElbowOveruse or sports-strain pain and wearing of the joint surfaces
  • Hand and wrist jointsHand and wrist jointsStiffness and pain in the small joints of the fingers and wrist
  • AnkleAnklePain and stiffness after sprains and old injuries

Advantages

Why patients choose City Medical Centre

Treatment without surgery that sets out to keep your own joint instead of replacing it

Your own tissue

Your own tissue

Only material from your body — your blood and adipose tissue — and nothing synthetic or from a donor

No crutches

No crutches

No long rehabilitation — just punctures instead of incisions and local anaesthetic

Second opinion

Second opinion

Your X-rays, MRI or reports can be sent for an independent assessment by a doctor, free of charge

Support after the procedure

Support after the procedure

Our contact does not end on the day of the injection — we stay in touch and follow the result

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

By messaging us, you agree to our Privacy Policy

Request a free call

Price

Arthritis treatment prices

After the consultation the doctor names the cost, which depends on the joint, the arthritis type and the method

FAQ

Joint treatment: frequently asked questions

About the conditions

More about these conditions

Other services of our clinic

Arthritis treatment in The Hague: what you should know

Growth factors released by platelets influence the immune response and tissue repair. For patients from The Hague with rheumatoid and other inflammatory arthritis, PRP may be one part of the overall plan.

Pregnancy is a contraindication to joint injections, including PRP and SVF. For patients from The Hague, arthritis treatment during pregnancy is decided only with a rheumatologist and an obstetrician.

Book a free consultation in The Hague to find out whether PRP or SVF could help your arthritis. The doctor names the price after examining the joint.

An inflamed joint: the signs that separate arthritis from wear

Arthritis means inflammation of a joint. The signs that point to it are pain at night or at rest, stiffness in the morning that lasts longer than half an hour, swelling, and a joint that is red and warm to the touch. The causes vary: autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis, gout, infection, or the aftermath of an old injury. Which one you have decides what is sensible, so the first job is to establish the type.

A knee shows the difference well. An autoimmune reaction, infection or gout can inflame it, and then it is red, warm, markedly swollen and tender to the touch. Osteoarthritis, by contrast, is cartilage wear, usually noticed as a dry crunch and an aching pain when the knee moves. Many people have a bit of both, and a doctor reading your scans and history can tell which dominates. Do not guess from a search engine at midnight.

Why does an arthritic joint hurt even at rest? Inflammation keeps stimulating the pain receptors continuously, during movement, at rest and at night. Easing that pain is possible with treatment that reduces inflammation, and regenerative injections can be one part of a wider plan, never a substitute for the care of a rheumatologist when the disease is systemic.

The role of a rheumatologist, and where injections fit

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease treated by a rheumatologist. PRP and SVF injections do not cure it. Once an acute flare has settled, the doctor can assess whether joint injections may ease local symptoms, such as inflammation, pain and swelling in a particular joint. They supplement the treatment prescribed by your rheumatologist, without replacing it, and you should not stop or change your medicines because of anything we say.

Psoriatic arthritis cannot currently be cured completely, since it is a chronic disease. The aim is a long remission: keeping inflammation in check and preventing deformity of the joint, with regenerative injections as one possible part of the plan. In autoimmune arthritis research continues; SVF contains cells that can modulate the local immune response and support repair of damaged tissue, and the doctor will discuss realistic expectations for your type.

Timing is crucial. The doctor first confirms the type of arthritis and then waits for the right moment, never acting during a severe flare. SVF is applied for inflammatory arthritis after the acute phase has calmed. 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 route.

It follows that your first message should contain the name of your diagnosis, the date it was made, the medicines you take and the name of the specialist who follows you, if there is one. Send the letters or test results you have. The doctor needs the whole picture, not only the painful joint.

A symptom log for flares, quiet weeks and the coastal calendar

People with arthritis often live in cycles: weeks of calm and days of flare. A log turns those cycles into information. Record the date, the joint, how long morning stiffness lasted (under or over thirty minutes), swelling, redness, pain at night, your medicines and anything unusual such as an infection or a stressful week. A month of notes tells the doctor more than an hour of recollection.

The Hague's climate table (Valkenburg station, 1981 to 2010 normals) gives 70.0 mm of rain in January and 84.0 mm in August, 14.0 °C as the yearly average daily maximum and 1,849.7 hours of sunshine a year. We do not say that weather triggers arthritis. If you suspect that it does for you, write the conditions down alongside the symptoms, and the log will show whether there is a pattern. Nothing is lost by noticing.

Note your infections, too. A cold or flu, a fever, or inflamed skin over the joint planned for treatment means the procedure must wait. If you catch a cold in the week before the date, tell the coordinator at once; postponing is routine and costs nothing. Also tell the coordinator about any change in your rheumatology treatment before the date.

On photographs: a swollen joint is easiest to judge in daylight, from the front and the side, next to the healthy joint for comparison. Take a picture on a day of flare and another on a quiet day, and label them with the dates.

What happens on the day, and what comes after

The treatment day is short. After an examination of the joint and review of your scans, a small sample of blood is taken. Under local anaesthetic about 30 ml of adipose tissue is taken through a single puncture in the abdomen or inner thigh. The samples are processed: plasma is prepared from the blood, and the stromal vascular fraction is isolated from the tissue and added to the plasma. The material is then injected into the joint with ultrasound guidance. You go home the same day, without crutches.

Only your own blood and adipose tissue are used, nothing synthetic or from a donor, so the risk of an allergic reaction or rejection is very low. A temporary increase in ache, swelling or bruising is possible, and infection is rare. The doctor keeps in touch and follows how the joint responds, so tell the coordinator about any change.

How long the effect lasts depends on the type of arthritis, the stage, your weight and activity, and no one can promise a fixed result. Be wary of anyone who does. The doctor will tell you what is realistic for you, after reading your scans, and what else belongs in your plan.

Cover, costs and a first message from The Hague

The government sets the content of the standard health insurance package in the Netherlands, and rheumatology care follows its own route through your general practitioner and specialist. We cannot say whether your insurer reimburses regenerative joint injections, and we do not suggest that it will. Ask in writing, and keep the reply with your documents.

The cost depends on the joint, the method and the type of arthritis, so the doctor states it after the consultation, not before. The consultation and the review of your scans are free of charge, and there is no obligation to book anything. Coordinators are reachable around the clock in WhatsApp and Telegram, which suits patients whose stiffness is worst in the early morning or late at night.

A good first message includes: the joint, the diagnosis and date, the medicines, the name of your specialist, a short symptom log, two photographs and your scans or reports. With that the doctor can say, usually within a short time, whether the treatment could suit you, what else is needed and when the right moment might be.

How do I tell arthritis from osteoarthritis?

Arthritis is inflammation: night pain, morning stiffness over half an hour, swelling, redness and warmth. Osteoarthritis is cartilage wear, felt as crunching and aching on movement. The doctor decides from your history and scans.

Can PRP treat rheumatoid arthritis?

It does not cure it. After an acute flare has settled, injections may ease local inflammation and pain, as a supplement to treatment from your rheumatologist, never instead of it.

Can psoriatic arthritis be cured?

Not completely, since it is a chronic disease. The aim is a long remission, with regenerative injections as one possible part of the plan.

Should I stop my rheumatology medicines?

No. Do not stop or change them because of anything we say. Tell the coordinator exactly what you take.

When must the procedure wait?

During an active joint infection, a severe flare, a fever, a cold or flu, or skin inflammation over the joint. The doctor postpones it.

Does Dutch basic health insurance cover these injections?

The government decides the standard package, and we cannot confirm cover. Ask your insurer in writing.

What should my first message contain?

The joint, diagnosis and date, medicines, your specialist, a symptom log, photographs and scans or reports.

Does the weather trigger arthritis?

We make no such claim. If you suspect it for yourself, record the conditions in your symptom log and see whether a pattern emerges.