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PRP Therapy for Arthritis in Utrecht

PRP together with SVF cell therapy supports arthritis care in the knee, hand, shoulder and other joints; first comes a doctor's review of your case

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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?

Arthritis is the name for joint inflammation. Pain that comes at rest and at night, morning stiffness that persists beyond half an hour, swelling, redness and warmth over the joint are the classic signs. Causes vary, from autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis to gout, infection or an old 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: a cold, flu or fever, or 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

First comes an examination of the joint and a look at your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound; then the doctor decides whether the procedure fits your case. Existing scans can be sent before the visit.

Blood sample for PRP2

Blood sample for PRP

We take a small amount of blood from a vein; platelet-rich plasma with growth factors is prepared from it later.

Adipose tissue sample3

Adipose tissue sample

About 30 ml of adipose tissue is taken through a puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh, under local anaesthetic; the puncture needs no stitches.

Processing in a centrifuge4

Processing in a centrifuge

Separated into layers by spinning in a centrifuge, the sample yields the stromal vascular fraction, which is isolated and mixed with the platelet-rich plasma.

Injection into the joint5

Injection into the joint

Under ultrasound guidance, which helps with precise placement, the prepared material is injected straight into the affected joint.

Follow-up6

Follow-up

Without crutches and without a hospital stay: after the procedure the doctor stays in touch and follows 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

The treatment relies only on your own blood and adipose tissue, not on donor or synthetic material

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.

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

Its effect on local inflammation and tissue repair is why it is used in inflammatory arthritis, after the acute flare has settled.

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 a single element of the wider plan, it can be advised 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

From large joints to small ones — which joint, which method and how many injections is decided by the doctor once your scans are reviewed

  • KneeKneeStair and post-walking pain, worn cartilage and meniscus problems
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderJoint and surrounding tendon wear, with pain on lifting the arm
  • ElbowElbowOveruse or sports-strain pain and wearing of the joint surfaces
  • Hand and wrist jointsHand and wrist jointsSmall finger and wrist joints that feel stiff and hurt
  • AnkleAnklePain and stiffness after sprains and old injuries

Advantages

Why patients choose City Medical Centre

We work on keeping your own joint rather than replacing it — treatment without surgery

Your own tissue

Your own tissue

The treatment relies only on your own blood and adipose tissue, not on donor or synthetic material

No crutches

No crutches

Under local anaesthetic, through punctures instead of incisions, with no long rehabilitation afterwards

Second opinion

Second opinion

Send us your X-rays, MRI or medical reports for a free, independent assessment by a doctor

Support after the procedure

Support after the procedure

We remain in contact after the procedure and follow the result, well beyond the injection day

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

Because the joint, the type of arthritis and the method all affect the cost, 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 in Utrecht: from diagnosis to follow-up

Arthritis is inflammation of a joint. For patients from Utrecht, typical signs are pain at rest and at night, morning stiffness that lasts longer than half an hour, swelling, redness and warmth over the joint.

An arthritic joint hurts even at rest because inflammation keeps stimulating pain receptors. For patients from Utrecht, treatment aimed at reducing that inflammation can ease pain at rest and at night.

Send your X-rays, MRI, ultrasound or blood test results. Patients from Utrecht receive a free assessment and a clear answer on suitable treatment and its price.

Damp Novembers and a city 5 metres above sea level: reading flares against the weather

Utrecht lies at an elevation of about 5 m. The nearest long-term weather record, from the De Bilt station, shows relative humidity of 82% across the year, rising to 89% in November and December. January has a mean maximum of 6.1 °C and a mean minimum of 0.9 °C. February is similar at 7.0 °C and 0.7 °C. December brings only 55.5 hours of sunshine, against 213.9 hours in July. Snow falls on about 25 days a year, six each in January and February.

Many people with inflammatory arthritis say their joints feel worse in cold, damp months. Records like these cannot prove that the weather causes a flare. What they offer is a yardstick: you can set your own notes next to a known pattern and see whether it holds for you.

Annual precipitation is 849.7 mm, spread over 131 days with at least 1 mm of rain. July (84.8 mm), December (83.4 mm) and August (83.1 mm) are the wettest months, and April is the driest at 41.1 mm. A wet summer month and a wet winter month are therefore both normal here. A flare in July does not have to be put down to "cold", and a quiet January does not mean the weather is irrelevant.

The treatment plan makes one point that matters for timing. Cell therapy is applied only after an acute flare has calmed, and the doctor never acts during a severe flare or an active joint infection. So a tidy record of when your joints were quiet and when they were not helps in choosing the moment. The most useful question is not "which season is best?" but "how many calm weeks in a row do I get, and what came before the last flare?".

For orientation, the warmest period is July and August, with mean highs of 23.1 °C and 22.9 °C. The record extremes, 37.5 °C in July and -24.8 °C in January, show that single days can be far from the average. If a sharp swing in temperature precedes your bad days, write down the date and the swing rather than trusting memory.

A symptom diary that a rheumatologist and an online doctor can both use

The service text lists the features that point to inflammation: pain at night or at rest, morning stiffness longer than half an hour, swelling, and a joint that is red and warm. A diary built around exactly these signs is more useful than a general note that the knee "was bad on Tuesday".

A simple daily entry can cover five things:

- how long the morning stiffness lasted, noted as under or over 30 minutes

- whether pain woke you at night

- which joint was swollen, and whether it looked red or felt warm

- what you took for the pain, and whether it helped only for a short time

- what you did the day before

Add a line for the weather if you wish: damp, frosty, a sudden mild spell. After a few weeks you can see whether the days in your diary line up with anything, or whether the flares are independent of the weather. Either answer is useful to the doctor.

Note the type of day as well as the symptoms. A day with long hours on your feet, a late evening, or a viral cold tells a different story from a day of rest. The service text names a fever, a cold, flu or any skin inflammation over the joint as temporary reasons to postpone treatment. Recording such days helps the doctor separate a postponement for a passing illness from a real contraindication.

Photographs are worth taking when the joint is at its worst: a swollen knee, red finger joints, a wrist that has lost its outline. A picture on a quiet day shows the contrast. Keep them with the date, because an online consultation cannot rely on touching the joint, and a dated series gives the doctor something solid to compare.

If a rheumatologist already manages your condition, say so in the diary and list the medicines you take. PRP and SVF are described as working alongside a rheumatologist's care for a systemic disease, never instead of it. For autoimmune arthritis such as rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis, the injections do not cure the disease. The doctor will ask about your current plan so that nothing in it is disturbed.

Bicycles, canals and the load your joints carry

In Utrecht 51% of journeys within the city are made by bicycle, more than by any other mode. The bicycle parking station by Central Station holds 12,500 bicycles. For someone with arthritis in the knee, ankle or hip, this makes everyday life a question of joint load. A daily cycle commute is not the same thing as a day spent at a desk, and the doctor will want to know which of the two describes you.

The service text lists "high load on the joints, sport or physical work" among the situations where the treatment may suit a patient, and it describes knee complaints as pain after walks and on stairs. A diary line such as "cycled to work, pain in the knee that evening" is more helpful than "knee hurts". It is also worth noting whether the pain comes when pedalling, when getting off the bicycle, or when climbing steps at the station.

The city has a strong sporting side too. SV Kampong has 4,500 members and is described as the largest amateur sports club in the Netherlands. If you play regularly, record the sport, the number of sessions per week, and whether a joint reacts to a particular movement. Pain after an old injury, such as a sprain or a meniscus problem, belongs in the same record, because the service text lists the cause of arthritis as autoimmune, gout, infection or a long-past injury. The doctor needs to know which of these fits your history.

Utrecht's old centre is built around the Oudegracht, a curved canal that follows part of an ancient Rhine branch, and the moat ring around the old town was partly restored as a waterway, completed in 2020. Bridges, quays and cobbled lanes mean steps and uneven surfaces in daily routes. If steps are what hurt, say so. The doctor chooses the joint, the method and the number of injections only after reviewing your scans, and your description of real movement helps with that choice.

Insurance, the deductible and who treats what

Health coverage in the Netherlands is built on basic insurance. The Zorginstituut Nederland describes how coverage works in some areas of care, and the general logic is useful background even though those pages concern other treatments. For plastic surgery, for example, basic insurance pays only when there is a medical reason, such as functional impairment, and not for purely cosmetic goals. Some insurers require prior approval, called a machtiging.

The lesson for an arthritis patient is practical. Coverage depends on the specific treatment and on the insurer's conditions, so ask your insurer directly about a given procedure and whether prior approval is needed. Do not assume the answer from a neighbour's experience. The coordinators at City Medical Centre can tell you what documents the doctor will issue after the consultation, and you can then put the question to your insurer with that paperwork in hand.

The mandatory deductible, the eigen risico, is set annually. For 2026 the Rijksoverheid states that GP care is exempt from it. In general, costs of covered care fall under the deductible first. This matters for planning the year: a visit to a GP or a rheumatology appointment may sit differently in your budget from other care. We cannot tell you which category your situation falls into, and we do not quote any amounts here.

The online consultation itself and the review of your scans are free of charge, and there is no obligation to book anything afterwards. Pricing of the procedures is given by the doctor after the consultation, because it depends on the joint, the method and the type of arthritis.

Utrecht has 378,140 inhabitants as of 1 January 2026, and the city expects about 400,000 by 2030. It is the capital of its province and sits within an urban area of 489,734 people. Growth on this scale means that waiting times for appointments can change from year to year. A second opinion that arrives within days, based on scans you already have, can help you prepare for those conversations rather than wait for them.

Building a case file for the online review of your scans

The consultation takes place on screen, so what the doctor sees depends on what you send. The coordinators reply on WhatsApp and Telegram round the clock, and the service promises a reply within 15 minutes. Use that channel to send material in advance. The service text explains that the coordinator will ask for your scans, meaning X-ray, MRI or ultrasound, and the doctor then tells you whether treatment without surgery suits you.

A useful file contains:

- the scans themselves, or the written reports that came with them

- recent blood test results, if you have them

- a list of current medicines and any injections you have had in the joint before

- your diary, including the photographs described above

- a short account of your history: when the first symptoms began, which joints are affected, and any diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis or gout

Mention any contraindication honestly. The service text lists cancer, pregnancy, blood clotting disorders and acute infections, including infection in or near the joint. It also lists a flare of a serious chronic illness as a reason to hold off. Temporary reasons include a fever, a cold or flu, and any skin inflammation over the joint.

Write your questions in advance. Good ones are: Is my joint inflamed or worn? Is this the right moment, or should we wait for a calm phase? Which method, PRP or SVF with PRP, would the doctor consider, and why? What can I expect after one week, one month, about three months and about six months? The service text gives these as averaged guides: the joint may ache a little more in the first week, pain usually eases after a month, mobility and activity improve at about three months, and the full effect develops at about six months. It adds that no one can promise a fixed result, because stage, body weight and activity all matter.

Where the procedure is advised, the steps are: a blood sample for PRP, then roughly 30 ml of adipose tissue taken under local anaesthetic through a single puncture, processing in a centrifuge, and an injection into the joint under ultrasound guidance. The whole procedure is done in one day, with no crutches and no hospital stay.

Planning around the city's calendar

Utrecht's year has fixed points that can affect when you want to start. About 67,000 students study in the city, and Utrecht University, founded in 1636, is the largest university in the Netherlands. Hogeschool Utrecht has about 37,000 students. If you work or study in that rhythm, term dates and exam weeks may decide when you can rest a joint after an injection.

The Netherlands Film Festival runs every year in September and October, and the four-day Le Guess Who? festival takes place in mid-November in venues across the city. Long evenings on your feet are a joint load like any other, so mark them in the diary and note how the joint behaved the next morning.

Dutch public holidays are 1 January, Easter Sunday and Monday, King's Day on 27 April, Liberation Day on 5 May, Ascension, Whit Sunday and Monday, and 25 and 26 December. Good Friday is not a mandatory paid holiday. On these days many practices are closed, but the coordinators answer 24/7, so a holiday does not leave you waiting for a reply about scans or a change of plan.

After the procedure the doctor keeps in touch and follows how the joint responds. It is sensible to leave a quiet week after the injection, because the service text says the joint may ache a little more in the first week and that this is an expected reaction. Choose a week without a festival, a long sports weekend or an exam period, if you can.

Does damp weather in Utrecht make an arthritis flare more likely?

The climate record shows relative humidity of 82% over the year and 89% in November and December, with about 25 snow days a year. Many patients say damp and cold seem to affect their joints, but these figures cannot prove it. Your own diary is the better test: note the weather beside stiffness, swelling and night pain, and the doctor can see whether a pattern exists for you.

Can I have the consultation during a flare?

Yes, the online consultation and the review of your scans can take place at any time. The injection is different: the doctor never acts during a severe flare or an active joint infection, and cell therapy is applied after an acute flare has calmed. During a flare the doctor will usually advise waiting and will agree with you how to record the symptoms in the meantime.

Do I need to stop seeing my rheumatologist?

No. PRP and SVF work alongside a rheumatologist's care for a systemic disease, not instead of it. For rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis the injections do not cure the condition. The doctor will ask what medicines you take and which specialist follows you, so that the plan fits around them.

Will my health insurance cover this?

Whether a procedure falls under basic insurance is a question for your insurer. The Zorginstituut Nederland shows in other fields that coverage often depends on a medical reason, and that some insurers require prior approval (machtiging). The mandatory deductible also applies to covered care, though GP care is exempt. Ask your insurer about the specific treatment before you decide, and use the documents from the consultation for that conversation.

Does daily cycling affect which joint is treated?

It can affect what the doctor asks you. Since 51% of journeys within Utrecht are made by bicycle, many patients cycle daily, and knees, hips and ankles carry that load. Tell the doctor how far and how often you ride and which movement hurts. The doctor chooses the joint, the method and the number of injections after reviewing your scans.

What should I send before the call?

Send X-rays, MRI or ultrasound images or their reports, recent blood tests if you have them, a list of medicines, and your symptom diary with dated photographs. Mention any pregnancy, cancer, clotting disorder, infection or recent fever, cold or flu. The coordinators answer on WhatsApp and Telegram round the clock, so you can send the files at any hour.

How long should I keep a diary before the consultation?

There is no fixed number in the service text, so the doctor decides what is enough. Even a few weeks of daily notes on morning stiffness (under or over 30 minutes), night pain, swelling and warmth give a clearer picture than memory. If you already have a longer record, send it all.

Do public holidays in the Netherlands delay a reply?

No. Public holidays such as King's Day on 27 April, Liberation Day on 5 May or Christmas may close local practices, but the coordinators answer 24/7. You can send scans, ask about the timing of the procedure or report a flare at any hour, including on a holiday.