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Knee and Hip Treatment in Bielefeld Without Surgery

Free scan review first, then SVF cell therapy or PRP for the knee, hip, shoulder or other joints if they suit you

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 regenerative
joint treatment?

Regenerative care for joints is based on your own material. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is obtained from blood, and the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) from a small amount of adipose tissue; the doctor then injects it into the affected joint to reduce pain and inflammation and to support its internal tissues.

  • 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

The decision on whether the treatment suits you is made by a doctor, after an examination and a look at 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, skin inflammation above the joint being 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: the doctor checks the joint and your X-ray, MRI or ultrasound images and decides whether the procedure fits. If you have scans already, send them in advance.

Blood sample for PRP2

Blood sample for PRP

A small volume of blood is drawn from a vein, which is later turned into platelet-rich plasma with growth factors.

Adipose tissue sample3

Adipose tissue sample

The doctor numbs the area with local anaesthetic and takes about 30 ml of adipose tissue through a puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh. Stitches are not needed.

Processing in a centrifuge4

Processing in a centrifuge

After centrifuging, the sample forms separate layers; the stromal vascular fraction is taken from them and combined with the platelet-rich plasma.

Injection into the joint5

Injection into the joint

Using ultrasound guidance, the doctor places the prepared material precisely by injecting it straight into the affected joint.

Follow-up6

Follow-up

There are no crutches and you do not stay in hospital. After the procedure the doctor stays in contact and tracks 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

Nothing from donors and nothing synthetic — only your own blood and adipose tissue

Cell therapy (SVF) from your own adipose tissue

SVF (stromal vascular fraction) is a mixture of cells involved in tissue repair, isolated from a small sample of your adipose tissue. Combined with plasma from your own body, it is injected directly into the affected joint.

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

When the joint has more noticeable changes and you want the effect to last longer, this is the usual choice.

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

From a small blood sample, plasma rich in platelets and growth factors is separated and injected into the joint. It helps ease inflammation and creates a better environment for tissues to repair.

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

It can be used on its own as a course of injections, or together with SVF.

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: the doctor picks the joint, the technique and the injection count after studying your scans

  • KneeKneeCartilage wear, meniscus problems, pain on stairs and after walking
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderArm-raising pain, with wear of the joint and the tendons around it
  • ElbowElbowPain from overuse or sports strain, worn joint surfaces
  • Hand and wrist jointsHand and wrist jointsPain and stiffness affecting the small finger and wrist joints
  • AnkleAnklePain and stiffness after sprains and old injuries

Advantages

Why patients choose City Medical Centre

The goal is your own joint kept, not replaced, through treatment without surgery

Your own tissue

Your own tissue

Nothing from donors and nothing synthetic — only your own blood and adipose tissue

No crutches

No crutches

Small punctures in place of incisions, local anaesthetic, no long recovery programme

Second opinion

Second opinion

Forward your X-rays, MRI or reports to get a free, independent assessment from a doctor

Support after the procedure

Support after the procedure

After the procedure we keep in touch and follow the result, not only the day of the injection

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

Joint treatment prices

Cost varies with the joint, the stage of the condition and the method; 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

Joint treatment in Bielefeld: what you should know

Joint pain does not always mean surgery. In Bielefeld, many people with early or moderate changes in the knee, hip or shoulder first try to preserve their own joint. SVF and PRP injections aim to reduce pain and inflammation and to slow further wear of the cartilage.

Over about three months mobility and activity usually improve, and the full effect develops over around six months. How long it lasts depends on the stage of the condition, body weight and activity, so no one can promise a fixed result to patients in Bielefeld.

Do not put off joint pain for years. Book a free consultation in Bielefeld: the doctor reviews your scans, assesses the stage and suggests a non-surgical plan if it is appropriate. The price is set at the consultation.

Between 71 m and 320 m: what Bielefeld's terrain asks of knees and hips

Bielefeld sits on the watershed between the Weser and the Ems, and the Teutoburger Wald runs through the city from west-northwest to east-southeast. The Bielefelder Pass is the route that lets traffic cross this ridge. The height difference inside the city limits is real. The lowest point is Brake at 71 m, the Rathaus stands at 114 m NHN, and the highest point, Auf dem Polle in Lämershagen, reaches 320 m. A person who lives on one side of the ridge and works on the other climbs and descends more often than a flat map suggests.

Slopes load the joints in different ways. Going uphill puts work on the hip and the muscles around it. Going downhill sends a heavy braking load through the knee, and this is where cartilage wear and meniscus trouble tend to make themselves felt. In the joint list for this treatment, the knee is described by pain climbing stairs or after walking, cartilage wear and meniscus trouble. The hip is described by early osteoarthritis, groin pain and limited rotation. If a steep street or a long stairwell has started to cause aching, that is worth describing to the doctor in detail.

The Hermannsweg hiking trail follows the Teutoburg Forest ridges for 156 km, and the city also has the Radrennbahn Bielefeld racing track. Hikers and cyclists load the joints rhythmically and for a long time. Regenerative treatment does not replace a sensible load plan. After reviewing your scans, the doctor gives recommendations on load and exercise for the first weeks. It helps to tell the coordinator what you do most often: long descents, cycling, standing at work or lifting.

The treatment is aimed at people who want to postpone or avoid joint replacement. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) comes from your own blood. The stromal vascular fraction (SVF) comes from a small sample of your own adipose tissue. The material is injected into the joint under ultrasound guidance. Whether this suits you depends on the examination and on your X-ray, MRI or ultrasound, not on where you live.

Damp winters, warm summers and how a joint reports them

Bielefeld has a mild but wet climate. The station at Deppendorf recorded a mean of 2.7 °C in January and 18.4 °C in July, with an annual mean of 10.4 °C. Annual precipitation is 822 mm over 194 rainy days. December is the wettest month at 102 mm, followed by January at 93 mm, while April is the driest at 33 mm. Sunshine follows the same pattern. It averages 1.1 h a day in December and 1.2 h in January, against 7.8 h in June.

Many people notice stiffness in the cold, grey months. These figures cannot show that weather causes joint disease, and arthrosis is a degenerative wear of cartilage that develops over years. Still, a dark and damp winter often means less walking and more time sitting, and the first steps after rest then feel stiffer. That is why it helps to keep a short diary. Note whether the pain comes on during movement, after rest or at night, and whether the morning stiffness lasts more than 30 minutes. Pain at rest and at night, together with swelling, redness and warmth over the joint, points toward inflammation (arthritis) rather than wear. The approach differs, so the diagnosis comes first.

Extremes also happen. The record high was 39.0 °C on 25 July 2019, and the record low was −21.3 °C on 13 February 2021. Annual precipitation has ranged from 652.6 mm in 2018 to 1,466.2 mm in 2023, so one year does not look like the next. The calendar matters for the procedure in a practical way. Temporary contraindications include a fever, a cold or flu, and skin inflammation over the joint to be treated. In the damp months, a respiratory infection can postpone the procedure by a few weeks. If you have a cold in December 2026 or January 2027, tell the coordinator, and the doctor will advise on timing.

About five million people with arthrosis: joint care in Germany

In Germany about five million people have osteoarthritis (Arthrose), and about 400,000 hip and knee joint replacements (Endoprothetik) were performed in 2016. These figures show that wear of the joints is common. They also show that replacement is a routine route for advanced cases. After an uncomplicated hip replacement the inpatient stay lasts about six to eight days in most hospitals. The rehabilitation that follows (Anschlussheilbehandlung) is arranged during that stay.

The route for earlier stages is less defined. Replacement is a large operation with a long recovery, and implants may eventually need to be redone. With early or moderate changes it often makes sense to try to preserve your own joint first. For hip osteoarthritis, PRP or SVF injections combined with exercise therapy and physiotherapy can, at early stages, reduce pain and improve movement. For a joint that is already badly damaged, replacement may be the more realistic option, and the doctor will say so honestly after seeing your scans. Avascular necrosis of the femoral head is treated differently. At stages 1–2, SVF therapy may be considered to support blood supply and delay the need for replacement. At later stages surgery is usually required.

On coverage, about 92% of the German population is in statutory health insurance, and as of 2024 about 88% of the working population is insured through statutory funds and about 11% privately. Most readers in Bielefeld therefore have an insurer with its own rules. The facts available here say nothing about whether any insurer reimburses regenerative injections, so we do not claim it. Ask your insurer in writing what applies to your case. Our coordinator can provide a description of the plan after the consultation, which makes that question easier to put.

A 2010 Commonwealth Fund survey found that 70% of Germans reported waiting less than 1 month for elective surgery. That is an older survey, and waiting times differ by region and specialty. Even so, a second opinion on your scans is a reasonable step before choosing between waiting for replacement and trying a joint-preserving approach.

A city of students and walkers: younger and active joints

Bielefeld is a university city. Universität Bielefeld, founded in 1969, had 24,453 students in winter semester 2022/23. The applied sciences university offers 21 courses in 8 departments, and agriculture and engineering are located in Minden. We cannot say how many of them have joint problems, and it would be wrong to guess. The point is simpler. Joint pain is not a topic only for the very old. The "Suitable" list for this treatment includes recovery after injuries and surgery, high load on the joints from sport or physical work, and old injuries such as sprains.

A young person with a repeatedly sprained ankle or a knee that has never felt right since a sports injury has a different picture from someone with long-standing coxarthrosis. For the ankle, the typical complaint is pain and stiffness after sprains. For the elbow it is aching after strain from sport or overuse, and for the hand and wrist it is stiffness in the small joints. The doctor decides the joint, the method and the number of injections only after checking your scans. The same applies to meniscus damage. PRP and SVF injections are often used to ease pain and support the knee, and the MRI comes first.

There are also reasons not to proceed. The procedure is not done in people with cancer, acute infections (including infection in or near the joint), blood clotting disorders, during pregnancy or during a flare-up of a serious chronic illness. Students and young workers should say plainly if any of these applies, or if they have recently been ill.

From your screen to the injection: what happens after you send scans

The first stage is online and carries no obligation. You write to the coordinator on WhatsApp or Telegram, where replies are available round the clock (24/7). You send existing X-rays, MRI, CT or ultrasound reports. A doctor assesses them at no charge and tells you whether the procedure could suit you and what else may be needed. If you have no recent scans, the coordinator will explain which ones are useful.

If treatment is suitable, the procedure follows a fixed order. A small amount of blood is taken from a vein for PRP. For SVF, the doctor takes roughly 30 ml of adipose tissue under local anaesthetic through a small puncture in the abdomen or inner thigh, and no stitches are needed. The sample is spun in a centrifuge, the stromal vascular fraction is mixed with platelet-rich plasma, and the material goes into the joint under ultrasound guidance. The whole procedure is done in one day. There is no hospital stay and no crutches.

The expected course is described as follows. In the first week the joint may ache a little more, which is an expected reaction. After about a month the pain usually eases, after about 3 months mobility and activity improve, and after about 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. The effect of PRP often lasts several months to about a year, and SVF can last longer. The doctor stays in contact afterward and follows how your joint responds.

Do the steep parts of Bielefeld make knee osteoarthritis worse?

The facts do not prove that. They show that the city has real elevation, from 71 m at Brake to 320 m at Auf dem Polle. Walking downhill puts a braking load on the knee, so symptoms may show up there first. Wear itself develops gradually, and the doctor judges the stage from your scans, not from where you walk.

Should I wait for a drier season before arranging the procedure?

There is no medical reason to wait for the weather itself. What matters is your health on the day. A fever, a cold or flu, or skin inflammation over the joint are temporary contraindications, and in a wet December or January they may delay the date. Tell the coordinator about any recent illness, and the doctor will advise on timing.

Can I use German statutory insurance for this treatment?

About 92% of the population is covered by statutory health insurance, so most people have an insurer to ask. The facts we hold do not say whether any insurer reimburses PRP or SVF injections. Ask your insurer directly, and use the plan the doctor writes after your consultation as the basis for that question.

My doctor has suggested a hip replacement. Is a second opinion still sensible?

Yes. About 400,000 hip and knee replacements were performed in Germany in 2016, so the operation is established. But replacement is major surgery with long rehabilitation, and with early or moderate changes it can make sense to try to preserve the joint first. Send your X-rays, MRI or reports, and a doctor will tell you honestly which option looks realistic.

I cycle and hike on the Teutoburg Forest ridges. Can I go back to it?

Normally you return to normal life within a day or two, and no crutches or long rehabilitation are needed. The doctor gives load and exercise recommendations for the first weeks. Remember that the joint may ache a little more in the first week, that pain usually eases after about a month, and that the full effect develops around 6 months. Plan the return to long descents and hard cycling with the doctor.

Is this only for older people with arthrosis?

No. Arthrosis affects about five million people in Germany, but the treatment list also includes recovery after injuries and surgery, high load from sport or physical work, and old sprains. The doctor decides after examining the joint and the scans, and age alone does not decide.

Which scans should I send from Bielefeld, and in what form?

X-ray, MRI, CT or ultrasound reports all work, along with any medical reports you have. Photos or files sent on WhatsApp or Telegram are enough for the first review. If you have nothing recent, the coordinator will tell you which scan is most useful for your joint before any decision is made.