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SVF and PRP Joint Therapy in Catania

Knee, hip, shoulder or another joint — SVF cell therapy and PRP, starting with a free assessment of your scans

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?

Instead of implants or foreign substances, regenerative joint treatment uses you as the source: platelet-rich plasma (PRP) from your blood and the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) from a small adipose tissue sample. It is injected into the troubled joint to lower pain and inflammation and support the tissues inside.

  • 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

Only after an examination and a review of your scans does the doctor decide 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: fever, a cold or the flu, inflammation of the skin 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

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 drawn from a vein — only a small amount. Later, platelet-rich plasma with growth factors is made from it.

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

Centrifugation divides the sample into layers, so the stromal vascular fraction can be isolated and then mixed with the platelet-rich plasma.

Injection into the joint5

Injection into the joint

With ultrasound guiding the needle, the prepared material is injected directly and precisely into the affected joint.

Follow-up6

Follow-up

You go without crutches and without a hospital stay; the doctor keeps in contact after the procedure and follows your 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

No donor or synthetic material: only your own blood and adipose tissue are used

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

This option is usually picked for more advanced changes in the joint, when the goal is an effect that lasts longer.

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

A small amount of your blood is processed to separate plasma rich in platelets and growth factors, which is then injected into the joint. It helps settle inflammation and gives the tissues better conditions for repair.

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

It can be a course of injections on its own or be 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

Large and small joints can be treated; the doctor settles the joint, the method and the injection count after checking your scans

  • KneeKneePain climbing stairs or after walking, cartilage wear, meniscus trouble
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderWear of the joint and its tendons, pain when raising the arm
  • ElbowElbowPain after overuse or sports strain, wear of the joint surfaces
  • Hand and wrist jointsHand and wrist jointsStiffness and aching in the finger and wrist joints
  • 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

No donor or synthetic material: only your own blood and adipose tissue are used

No crutches

No crutches

Local anaesthetic and punctures in place of incisions mean no long rehabilitation

Second opinion

Second opinion

Send any X-rays, MRI or reports and receive an independent assessment from a doctor for free

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

The cost is named by the doctor after the consultation, since it depends on the joint, the stage of the condition and the method

FAQ

Joint treatment: frequently asked questions

About the conditions

More about these conditions

Other services of our clinic

Joint treatment in Catania: what you should know

Regenerative joint treatment uses material from your own body: platelet-rich plasma from blood and the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) from a small sample of adipose tissue. For patients from Catania, it is an option to ease pain and inflammation and support the tissues inside the joint without an operation.

Keeping a healthy weight and regular, joint-friendly exercise help the result last longer. The doctor explains which activities suit your joint and which loads to avoid — the same advice applies to every patient in Catania.

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 Catania. Leave your name and phone number, and a coordinator will contact you.

Stairs, slopes and the foot of Etna: what the city asks of your knees and hips

Catania is the second-largest city in Sicily after Palermo, with 296,984 residents by the 2026 estimate and more than a million people in the wider Metropolitan City. The city's official elevation is only 7 m, yet it lies at the base of Mount Etna. For anyone with a sore joint, that means daily life mixes flat stretches with climbs and descents. Entrances, staircases and the walk to a stop or a car all add up over a day.

Joint pain often shows itself in exactly these moments. Knee pain on stairs or after walking, groin pain and limited rotation of the hip, and pain on raising the arm are typical complaints for which regenerative treatment is considered. If you notice that a particular movement has become harder, write it down before the consultation: which stairs, how far you walk, what you can no longer lift. The doctor can use these details together with your scans.

The city has an 8.8 km metro line, open since 1999, and the Circumetnea, a 110 km narrow-gauge railway around the volcano. Neither changes how a joint should be assessed, but they are reminders of how much walking and standing ordinary movement around the area involves. If painkillers only help for a short time, or you are starting to plan your day around your joint, that is a good reason to ask for an opinion on your scans.

Treatment here means PRP, made from plasma rich in platelets from your own blood, and SVF, a cell fraction from a small sample of your own adipose tissue. Each is injected into the joint under ultrasound guidance. It is an injection instead of an operation, not a replacement of the joint, and the doctor decides after reviewing your X-ray, MRI or ultrasound whether it suits you at all.

Heat, humidity and a wet winter: reading the weather without overstating it

Catania's climate is hot and bright. In the 1991–2020 data for Catania-Sigonella, the mean high is 35.1 °C in July and 35.5 °C in August, with lows of 21.4 °C and 22.3 °C. January is milder, with a mean high of 17.5 °C and a low of 6.3 °C. Annual sunshine is about 3,225.9 hours, and relative humidity averages 70.3%. The record high is 46.7 °C, and 40 °C is passed a couple of times in most years.

Rain is concentrated in the colder months. Annual precipitation is 483.8 mm over 50.7 days with at least 1 mm. December is the wettest month at 78.5 mm, followed by November at 66.2 mm, while July has only 7.8 mm and about 0.4 rainy days. Snow is very rare: the last recorded fall was on 17 December 1988, with light snow on 9 February 2015, and the record low is -2.6 °C.

Many people feel that their joints react to weather, but this cannot be turned into a medical rule for an individual. What we can say from the treatment itself is more practical. Skin inflammation over the joint, a fever, a cold or flu are temporary reasons to postpone the injection. In the damper months, when colds are more likely, it makes sense to talk about timing with the coordinator rather than to book a date and hope for the best.

The first week after treatment matters too. The joint may ache a little more for about a week, which is an expected reaction, and the doctor gives recommendations on load and exercise for the first weeks. Think about this when you choose a period: a stretch with fewer heavy obligations is easier than a week packed with lifting and long walks.

Long lives, mixed activity levels: who in the city asks about joints

Italy has one of the longest life expectancies among developed countries: 83.4 years in 2018, the 4th highest in the OECD. A longer life means that cartilage has more years of use, and osteoarthritis, the gradual wear of the cartilage at the ends of the bones, is a common reason for people to ask about knees and hips. The typical picture is aching pain on movement, crunching and stiffness after rest. This is different from arthritis, which is inflammation, with pain at rest and at night, swelling, redness and warmth over the joint. The diagnosis comes first, because the approach differs.

Body weight and activity are part of the picture as well. According to ISTAT 2023 figures, 46.3% of Italian adults are overweight or obese, with obesity at 11.8%, up from 10.3% in 2013, and 35% of people aged three and over are sedentary. These are national numbers, and no regional split was found, so they should not be read as a statement about Catania alone. They matter because the duration of the effect of treatment depends on the stage of the condition, body weight, activity and other factors, and nobody can promise a fixed result.

The city is not only older residents. The University of Catania, founded in 1434, had 40,287 students in 2024/2025, and the Stadio Angelo Massimino, opened in 1937, holds 21,000 people. Younger people in the area often come to joint treatment through injuries and sport. The list of conditions we handle includes meniscus injury, rehabilitation after injuries and surgery, and the wear that comes with a high load on the joints from sport or physical work.

Whatever your age, the first step is the same. You send the scans you already have, the doctor looks at the joint and the images, and you hear honestly whether the treatment can help, whether something else is needed, or whether replacement is the more realistic option for a badly damaged joint.

National coverage of joint care and where an online consultation fits

Italy's SSN, the Servizio Sanitario Nazionale, was established in 1978 and gives universal coverage to citizens and residents. It runs on a regional basis under the Ministry of Health, which sets the national Essential Levels of Care, known as LEA. For a person in Catania, this means that visits to a specialist, imaging and standard orthopaedic care normally go through the public system.

Two details from the public system are useful when planning. Waiting times are usually up to a few months in the big public facilities, and up to a few weeks in private facilities contracted with the SSN, although no official waiting-list figure was found. Specialist visits carry a co-payment known as a ticket, with exemptions by age (over 65 and under 6), income or chronic illness. These are general features of the national system, not statements about any single provider.

An online consultation with us is a separate matter. It does not replace your family doctor or the public system, and it does not tell you what the SSN will or will not cover for a specific injection. What it offers is a free review of your scans and an independent view of whether PRP or SVF could suit you, which can be useful as a second opinion alongside whatever you hear from the public route.

If you already have X-rays, MRI, CT or reports from a public facility, you can send them as they are. A doctor reviews them free of charge, and you will hear whether the procedure could suit you and what else may be needed. Treatment costs are stated by the doctor after the consultation, because the joint, the stage and the method all affect them.

Planning around the Italian calendar: Sant'Agata, holidays and a calm week

Catania has its own date in the calendar. The festivities of Saint Agatha begin on 3 February and the main day is 5 February. It is a local patron-saint date and is not listed among the national holidays. The national holidays apply as usual: 1 and 6 January, Easter Monday, 25 April, 1 May, 2 June, 15 August, 4 October, 1 November, 8 December, 25 and 26 December, and every Sunday. The opera season at the Teatro Massimo Bellini runs from December to May, and the Catania Jazz Festival fills several winter months.

Why mention this in a medical text? Because the injection is followed by a week in which the joint may ache a little more, and by recommendations on load. Many people prefer to choose a quieter stretch rather than the days of long processions or crowded events. The online consultation itself can be done on any day, and our coordinators answer on WhatsApp and Telegram round the clock, including on Sundays and holidays.

A sensible order looks like this. First, message the coordinator and send your scans. Second, have the consultation, where the joint is examined by video and the images are reviewed. Third, if the treatment suits you, discuss the method: PRP alone or together with SVF, which joint, and how many injections. The doctor settles these after checking the scans.

The procedure itself is described in six steps: consultation and scan review, a blood sample for PRP, about 30 ml of adipose tissue taken under local anaesthetic through a small puncture, processing in a centrifuge, an ultrasound-guided injection, and follow-up. There is no hospital stay and no crutches. After that, the doctor stays in touch and follows how your joint responds, at about one month the pain usually eases, at about three months mobility and activity improve, and the full effect develops at about six months.

Does the heat of a Catania summer affect when I should plan treatment?

The service itself gives no rule linking outdoor temperature to the injection. What matters is the state of your skin and your health: skin inflammation over the joint, a fever, a cold or flu are temporary reasons to postpone. Summers in Catania are hot, with a July mean high of 35.1 °C, so it is sensible to agree with the coordinator on a period when you can rest in the first week, when the joint may ache a little more.

Is the wetter period from November to December a problem?

Not in itself. November (66.2 mm) and December (78.5 mm) are the wettest months, but the weather is not a contraindication. The practical point is that colds and flu are more likely in cooler months, and a cold or flu is a temporary reason to postpone. If you feel unwell, tell the coordinator, and the date can be moved.

Can I send scans I had done through the public health system?

Yes. X-rays, MRI, CT, ultrasound or medical reports are reviewed by a doctor free of charge. It helps to send the images themselves and the written report if you have both. You then hear whether PRP or SVF could suit you and what else may be needed.

Does the national health service cover PRP or SVF injections?

The sources we use do not say. The SSN provides universal coverage under national Essential Levels of Care, run regionally, but whether a given injection is covered depends on the case, so ask your family doctor or the public facility. Our online consultation and the review of your scans are free, and the cost of treatment is stated by the doctor after the consultation.

Can I use a second opinion if my public waiting time is long?

Yes. Waiting times are usually up to a few months in the big public facilities, according to the general description of Italian healthcare. A second opinion on your scans does not replace a public appointment, but it can tell you, while you wait, whether treatment without surgery is realistic for your joint.

I walk a lot on hilly streets. Does this change the plan?

It is useful information for the doctor. Pain on stairs, after walking or when rotating the hip helps to judge which joint and which stage are involved. The doctor decides the method and the number of injections after checking your scans, and gives load and exercise recommendations for the first weeks.

Does my weight change the outcome?

How long the effect lasts depends on the stage of the condition, body weight, activity and other factors. No one can promise a fixed result. In Italy 46.3% of adults are overweight or obese according to ISTAT 2023, so it is a common topic, and the doctor will discuss it with you openly at the consultation.

Can I message on a Sunday or on 5 February?

Yes. Coordinators answer round the clock, 24/7, on WhatsApp and Telegram, including on Sundays, national holidays and Sant'Agata. The first reply normally comes within 15 minutes.