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Joint Pain Treatment in Bonn

Regenerative SVF and PRP injections for knees, hips, shoulders and other joints, with your scans checked free beforehand

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?

Everything used in regenerative joint treatment comes from you: platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is made from your blood, and the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) from a little adipose tissue. The doctor injects it into the painful joint to lessen inflammation and pain and to support the joint's inner 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

Suitability is decided by a doctor once you have been examined and your scans reviewed

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: inflamed skin over the treatment joint, 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 checks your joint, reviews the X-ray, MRI or ultrasound and makes the decision on whether the procedure is suitable for you. If scans already exist, you can send them before the visit.

Blood sample for PRP2

Blood sample for PRP

Blood is taken from a vein in a small amount, and it is later used to prepare platelet-rich plasma with growth factors.

Adipose tissue sample3

Adipose tissue sample

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

Processing in a centrifuge4

Processing in a centrifuge

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

Injection into the joint5

Injection into the joint

Under ultrasound guidance, the ready material goes directly into the affected joint, so it can be placed accurately.

Follow-up6

Follow-up

No stay in hospital and no crutches are needed. The doctor stays in touch after the procedure to see how the joint responds.

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 own blood and adipose tissue is used, with no donor or synthetic components

Cell therapy (SVF) from your own adipose tissue

To obtain SVF, the stromal vascular fraction, a small amount of your adipose tissue is processed; this cell mix takes part in repairing tissue. It is injected into the affected joint together with plasma from your own blood.

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

It is usually the choice when changes in the joint are more marked and the aim is a longer-lasting effect.

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 an injection of plasma rich in platelets and growth factors, separated from a small amount of your blood. It helps soothe inflammation and creates better conditions for the tissues to repair.

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

It may be given alone as a course of injections or combined 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

Small joints and large ones alike — your scans guide the doctor's choice of joint, method and number of injections

  • KneeKneeMeniscus trouble, worn cartilage, pain when using stairs or after walking
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderPain as the arm goes up, wear of the joint and adjacent tendons
  • ElbowElbowAching after strain from sport or overuse, joint surface wear
  • Hand and wrist jointsHand and wrist jointsPain and stiffness in the small joints of the wrist and fingers
  • AnkleAnklePain and stiffness after sprains and old injuries

Advantages

Why patients choose City Medical Centre

No surgery: our work is about keeping your own joint, not swapping it for an implant

Your own tissue

Your own tissue

Only material from your own blood and adipose tissue is used, with no donor or synthetic components

No crutches

No crutches

No long rehabilitation: punctures instead of incisions, done under local anaesthetic

Second opinion

Second opinion

Free of charge: a doctor's independent assessment of the X-rays, MRI or reports you send

Support after the procedure

Support after the procedure

We stay in touch after the procedure and follow the result, not just 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

After the consultation the doctor gives the price, which depends on the joint, the stage and the method

FAQ

Joint treatment: frequently asked questions

About the conditions

More about these conditions

Other services of our clinic

How SVF and PRP therapy works for Bonn residents

SVF and PRP work in different ways. PRP helps calm inflammation and creates better conditions for repair; SVF contains cells involved in tissue repair and is chosen when changes are more pronounced. For patients from Bonn, the doctor often combines the two.

PRP can be given as a course of injections or together with SVF. The number of injections and the method are chosen individually for each patient from Bonn after the examination and scan review.

The cost of joint treatment depends on the joint, the stage of the condition and the method, so the price is set at the consultation. The initial consultation and review of your scans are free for patients from Bonn. Leave your name and phone number, and a coordinator will contact you.

Between the Rhine and the hills: what Bonn asks of the knees and hips

Bonn has 323,587 residents (31 December 2025) on an area of 141.06 km2, and almost three-quarters of the city lies on the left bank of the Rhine. The ground is not uniformly flat. The lowest point, Kemper Werth, is 45.6 m above NHN and the highest, Paffelsberg, reaches 195.3 m. The Siebengebirge rises to the south-east. The difference is about 150 m, so anyone moving between the riverside and the higher districts regularly climbs and descends.

Slopes and steps are exactly where a worn knee or hip tends to announce itself. The knee section of our programme lists pain when climbing stairs or after walking, cartilage wear and meniscus trouble. For the hip it lists early osteoarthritis, groin pain and limited rotation. If you notice such signs on your usual route, that is a reason to have the joint examined, not a reason to simply put up with it.

The treatment described here is regenerative and non-surgical. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is prepared from your own blood. The stromal vascular fraction (SVF) is isolated from a small sample of your own adipose tissue. The material is injected into the affected joint under ultrasound guidance to help reduce pain and inflammation and to support the tissues inside it. Nothing from a donor and nothing synthetic is used.

The consultation is online, so you can start from home in Bonn. The coordinator asks for your existing X-ray, MRI or ultrasound, and the doctor reviews them. Only after that review does the doctor say whether the treatment suits you. The scan review is free and does not commit you to anything.

Cold mornings, damp months and the joints

The figures for Bonn are mild but not warm. The mean daily maximum in January is 5.4 °C, the mean temperature is 3.0 °C, and the mean daily minimum in January and February is 0.4–0.5 °C. The annual mean is 11.1 °C. Winter days hover just above freezing, which is a different kind of cold from deep frost.

Precipitation totals 645 mm a year. June is the wettest month at 78 mm and August follows with 70 mm, while October (30 mm) and April (35 mm) are the driest. Sunshine averages 4.5 hours a day over the year, but only about 1 hour in December and 2 hours in January and November. Short, grey winter days can mean less time outdoors and less movement.

Many people with stiff joints say that the weather affects them. We would not claim that the climate causes osteoarthritis, and the facts above do not show that. What can be said is that morning stiffness and pain after rest are among the typical signs of osteoarthritis. Pain at rest and at night, swelling, redness and warmth over a joint point more toward arthritis, which is inflammation. The approach differs between the two, so the diagnosis comes first.

Summer is warm: the mean daily maximum is 25.3 °C in July, with a record of 40.3 °C. Longer days with about 7 hours of sunshine from May to August make activity easier to keep up. If you plan treatment, the doctor will give you load and exercise recommendations for the first weeks, and you can fit them around the season you are in.

Five million people with osteoarthritis, 400,000 replacements

In Germany about five million people have osteoarthritis (Arthrose). In 2016 about 400,000 hip and knee joint replacements were performed. These numbers explain why many people who have pain in a joint hear early that replacement may be the next step.

Replacement is major surgery. After an uncomplicated hip replacement the inpatient stay lasts about six to eight days in most clinics, and follow-up rehabilitation is arranged during that stay. Our programme describes the downsides plainly: long rehabilitation, risks such as infection, and implants that may eventually need to be redone. With early or moderate changes it often makes sense to try to preserve your own joint first.

Regenerative treatment is not a universal replacement for an operation. Chances of a lasting effect are higher at earlier stages, and the doctor assesses the stage from your scans. For a joint that is already badly damaged, replacement may be the more realistic option, and the doctor will say so honestly after seeing the images. For avascular necrosis of the hip, SVF therapy may be considered at stages 1–2 to support blood supply to the femoral head and delay joint replacement; at later stages surgery is usually required.

The free second opinion is useful here. If you have an MRI or report and have been told that replacement is the only choice, send it. A doctor reviews it independently, and you will hear whether the procedure could suit you and what else may be needed.

Insurance in Germany and what to clarify before you decide

About 92% of the German population is covered by statutory health insurance. As of 2024 about 88% of the working population is insured through statutory funds and about 11% privately. Most people in Bonn therefore have an insurer who sets rules about what it pays for.

The rules we can describe from the sources concern cosmetic procedures: statutory insurance does not pay for those when they are done at the patient's own request. Joint treatment is a different matter, because it addresses pain and wear in a joint. We cannot tell you how your own insurer treats PRP or SVF injections, and we do not want to guess. Ask your insurer directly, and keep the answer in writing.

What we can do is make the medical picture clear so that the conversation with your insurer is easier. After the consultation the doctor states the plan: which joint, which method, and how many injections. The cost of each method depends on the joint, the stage of the condition and the method, so it is given at the consultation and not in advance.

The first two steps carry no obligation. The coordinator asks for your scans, the doctor reviews them, and you decide afterwards with the full information. You can reach the coordinators round the clock on WhatsApp or Telegram, and replies come within 15 minutes.

Planning around a busy Bonn calendar

Bonn has a large student population: the University (founded 18 October 1818) had 31,501 students and 6,575 doctoral candidates in December 2024. The city also keeps a cultural calendar. The Beethovenfest runs every September with about 70 concerts (the 2024 edition ran from 5 September to 3 October), and Bonn is described as a centre of Rhenish carnival. Sitting through concerts, standing in crowds and walking between venues all load the knees, hips and ankles.

The procedure itself is short. The whole procedure is done in one day. It starts with a small blood sample from a vein and, for cell therapy, roughly 30 ml of adipose tissue taken under local anaesthetic through a small puncture in the abdomen or inner thigh, with no stitches. A centrifuge separates the sample into layers, and the SVF isolated from it is mixed with platelet-rich plasma. The material goes into the joint under ultrasound guidance. There is no hospital stay and no crutches.

The expected course is gradual. In the first week the joint may ache a little more, which is an expected reaction. After about a month the pain usually eases, mobility and activity improve around 3 months, and the full effect develops at about 6 months. These timings are averages for guidance, and how long the effect lasts differs from person to person. No one can promise a fixed result.

Return to normal life is usually within a day or two. Still, if a concert, a trip across town for a long walk or a sporting event matters to you, tell the coordinator at the start. The doctor can then give recommendations that fit your plans, and stays in touch afterwards to follow how the joint responds.

Do hills and steps in Bonn make knee pain worse?

Elevation in the city ranges from 45.6 m to 195.3 m above NHN, so slopes and stairs are part of many routes. Pain when climbing stairs or after walking is a typical sign in the knee section of our programme. It is a reason to send your scans for review, and the doctor will say what is behind it.

Does cold, damp weather in Bonn cause osteoarthritis?

No source we rely on says that. January has a mean daily maximum of 5.4 °C and annual precipitation is 645 mm, but osteoarthritis is gradual wear of cartilage. Weather may change how a joint feels, and morning stiffness is a common sign. The cause is established by the doctor from the examination and scans.

Is the online consultation enough to start?

Yes. You send existing X-ray, MRI or ultrasound images to the coordinator, and a doctor reviews them and the joint is discussed. The scan review and consultation are free. The doctor decides whether the treatment suits you only after that review.

Will statutory insurance in Germany pay for PRP or SVF?

We cannot say, and we do not want to guess. Statutory insurance, which covers about 92% of the population, does not pay for cosmetic procedures done at the patient's request, but joint treatment is a medical matter. Ask your insurer directly. The doctor's plan after the consultation will give you something concrete to show.

Is it worth trying this before a hip or knee replacement?

With early or moderate changes it often makes sense to try to preserve your own joint first. Replacement is major surgery with long rehabilitation, an inpatient stay of about six to eight days for a hip, and implants that may need redoing. The doctor will tell you honestly if your scans show that replacement is more realistic.

Which season is better for the procedure?

The programme does not tie treatment to a season. The mean daily maximum is 25.3 °C in July and 5.4 °C in January. What matters more is that you have no fever, cold, flu or skin inflammation over the joint, which are temporary reasons to postpone.

Can I keep up with university or work after the procedure?

Normally you can return to normal life within a day or two. There are no crutches and no long rehabilitation. The doctor gives load and exercise recommendations for the first weeks, so tell the coordinator about your schedule in advance.

What should I send to the coordinator before the consultation?

Send existing X-ray, MRI, CT or ultrasound images and any medical reports about the joint. Mention where it hurts, when the pain appears and what painkillers have done. This lets the doctor review the stage from your scans before the conversation starts.