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Joint Treatment in Constanta: Methods and Steps

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

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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

A doctor examines you and reviews your scans, then decides whether the treatment is suitable

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 joint to be treated, 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

How it works

How the procedure goes: step by step

Consultation and scan review1

Consultation and scan review

The doctor assesses the joint in person and reviews X-rays, MRI or ultrasound, then decides if you are a candidate for the procedure. Scans you have can be sent before the visit.

Blood sample for PRP2

Blood sample for PRP

A small amount of blood is taken from a vein. Platelet-rich plasma with growth factors is later prepared from it.

Adipose tissue sample3

Adipose tissue sample

Under local anaesthetic, a small portion of adipose tissue (about 30 ml) is taken through a puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh. No stitches are needed.

Processing in a centrifuge4

Processing in a centrifuge

Once spun in a centrifuge, the sample separates into layers, and the stromal vascular fraction isolated from it is mixed with platelet-rich plasma.

Injection into the joint5

Injection into the joint

Directly into the affected joint: the prepared material is injected under ultrasound guidance for precise placement.

Follow-up6

Follow-up

No crutches and no hospital stay. The doctor stays in touch after the procedure and follows 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

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

Cell therapy (SVF) from your own adipose tissue

The method starts with a small adipose tissue sample, which is processed to separate the stromal vascular fraction (SVF), a mix of cells active in tissue repair. With your own plasma added, it is injected into the affected joint.

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

It is typically chosen for more pronounced joint changes, with a longer-lasting result in mind.

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 containing many platelets and growth factors is prepared from a small amount of your blood and injected into the joint, helping inflammation settle and creating better conditions for repair.

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

It is suitable as a separate injection course or in combination 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

We treat large and small joints — which joint, which method and how many injections is decided by the doctor after a scan review

  • KneeKneeCartilage wear, meniscus problems, pain on stairs and after walking
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderRaising the arm hurts; wear of the joint and the tendons around it
  • ElbowElbowSports strain or overuse pain and worn-down joint surfaces
  • Hand and wrist jointsHand and wrist jointsFinger and wrist joints that feel stiff and painful
  • AnkleAnklePain and stiffness after sprains and old injuries

Advantages

Why patients choose City Medical Centre

We try to preserve the joint you have rather than replace it, using 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

No incisions — just punctures under local anaesthetic, with no long rehabilitation

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

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

The cost depends on the joint, the stage of the condition and the method, so the doctor names it after the consultation

FAQ

Joint treatment: frequently asked questions

About the conditions

More about these conditions

Joint treatment in Constanta: what you should know

Knee problems are the most familiar reason to seek help: cartilage wear, meniscus damage, pain on stairs and after walking. Patients from Constanta with hip, shoulder, ankle, elbow or wrist pain follow the same path — scan review, examination and a clear plan.

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 Constanta.

Leave a request, and a coordinator will contact you to arrange a free consultation and scan review. The price of joint treatment in Constanta is set individually and explained before any procedure.

Sea air, damp winters and aching joints

Constanta sits on the Black Sea coast at an elevation of about 25 m, so the city itself is fairly flat, with no steep hills to climb. Joints are still tested here by other things: long walks along a beach 13 km in length, stairs in older buildings, cycling, and the weather. Climate figures for 1991-2020 give an annual relative humidity of 82%, rising to 88% in December, and January has a mean high of 4.7 °C and a mean low of -1.2 °C.

Many people with joint pain say that cold, damp weather makes stiffness feel worse. We cannot claim that the climate causes arthrosis, and the city facts we use do not say so. What can be said is that winters here are damp and cool, with about 22 snowy days a year, and that on slippery days a knee or hip that already hurts deserves extra care.

Whatever the season, the cause of pain matters more than the weather. Pain at rest and at night, morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes, swelling and warmth over the joint point towards arthritis, which is inflammation. Aching on movement, crunching and stiffness after rest point towards osteoarthritis, which is wear of the cartilage. The two are treated differently, so the diagnosis comes first.

Regenerative treatment explained for someone living on the coast

Regenerative joint treatment uses your own tissue. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is prepared from a small sample of blood taken from a vein. The stromal vascular fraction (SVF) is isolated from roughly 30 ml of adipose tissue, taken under local anaesthetic through a small puncture in the abdomen or inner thigh, with no stitches needed. The material is then injected into the affected joint under ultrasound guidance.

For a patient in Constanta, the whole process starts online. You send your X-ray, MRI or ultrasound to the coordinator on WhatsApp or Telegram, and a doctor reviews the scans free of charge. The doctor then tells you whether treatment without surgery suits you, or whether another route is more realistic, for example replacement for a badly damaged joint.

PRP and SVF are not the same. PRP is plasma rich in platelets and growth factors, and a course of injections can be done with it alone. SVF is a cellular fraction from adipose tissue and is usually chosen when changes in the joint are more marked and the aim is a longer-lasting effect. The two can be combined, and each procedure is completed in one day.

Which joints, and who is a realistic candidate

The joints most often discussed are the knee, hip and shoulder, but the elbow, the small joints of the hand and wrist, and the ankle can also be treated. Knee complaints typically involve pain climbing stairs or after walking, cartilage wear or meniscus trouble. Hip complaints include early osteoarthritis, groin pain and limited rotation.

Constanta has a sporting culture, with football in Liga I, rugby in the national division and handball. Anyone who plays, or whose work is physically demanding, puts high load on the joints. That is one of the situations in which the treatment may be considered, along with recovery after injuries and surgery and a wish to postpone joint replacement.

Some conditions rule the procedure out. These are cancer, pregnancy, blood clotting disorders, acute infections including infection in or near the joint, and a flare-up of a serious chronic illness. Skin inflammation over the joint, a fever, a cold or flu are temporary reasons to wait. The doctor checks all of this during the consultation, and chances of a lasting effect are higher at earlier stages of the condition.

An ageing, shrinking city and the cost of care

The 2021 census counted 263,688 residents within the city limits, down from 283,872 in 2011, while the wider metropolitan area had 425,916 people in 2011. The figures we use do not give an age breakdown, so we make no claim about how many residents are older. What the numbers do show is a large urban population that needs accessible care for everyday conditions such as joint pain.

Romania's social health insurance is run by CNAS, which manages a basic package of medical services, medicines, sanitary materials and devices. Free procedures require a health card showing paid insurance. The system is described as hospital-centric, with a shortage of healthcare workers, and CNAS has begun introducing co-payments for certain services that are not strictly medically necessary.

We found no official figure on how CNAS covers PRP or SVF injections, so do not assume that they are reimbursed. Out-of-pocket payments in Romania were about 21% of total health expenditure against an EU average of 15%, in older data. It is sensible to ask the coordinator what the online consultation covers and what is decided only after your scans are reviewed.

Planning around the seasons and public holidays

After the procedure the joint may ache a little more for about a week, which is an expected reaction. The pain usually eases within a month, mobility and activity improve at about 3 months, and the full effect develops at around 6 months. No one can promise a fixed result, because the stage of the condition, body weight and activity all matter.

Recovery is usually quick, with no hospital stay and no crutches, and normal life often returns within a day or two. The doctor gives recommendations on load and exercise for the first weeks. In Constanta that matters when you plan the beach season, which runs from mid-June to early September, when walking on sand and long days in Mamaia are likely.

Romania has 15 non-working days a year, including Orthodox Easter from Friday to Monday, 1 May, 15 Aug and the days around 30 Nov and 1 Dec. Since the coordinators answer round the clock, you can send scans on any of those days. Choose a quieter period if you want to rest the joint afterwards, and avoid starting right before a heavy sports or work week.

Does damp winter weather in Constanta make joint treatment less effective?

Nothing in the information we use links the local climate to the result. The effect depends on the stage of the condition, body weight, activity and other personal factors. The coast has humidity of 82% over the year and cool, damp winters, so the doctor can advise on load and exercise for your first weeks.

Can I send my scans from Constanta without leaving home?

Yes. The consultation is online. You send X-rays, MRI, CT or ultrasound reports to the coordinator on WhatsApp or Telegram, and a doctor reviews them free of charge and tells you whether the treatment could suit you and what else may be needed.

Will Romanian health insurance cover PRP or SVF injections?

We found no official information confirming CNAS coverage of these injections. CNAS manages a basic services package and has introduced co-payments for some services, so ask the coordinator and your insurer before making plans.

Is the summer or the winter better for the procedure?

Neither is proven better. Summer in Constanta has a mean high of 27.9 °C and beach season from mid-June, which may tempt you into heavy activity. Winter is cooler, with snowy days that can be slippery. Pick a period when you can follow the doctor's load advice for the first weeks.

Can I do it if I walk a lot along the seafront or cycle?

Regular walking and cycling are common reasons for knee and hip load. Active people can be candidates, since high load on the joints is among the situations where the treatment is considered. The doctor reviews your scans first and then sets recommendations on activity after the injection.

Is a short online consultation enough to judge a hip or knee?

The online consultation is the first step: the doctor looks at your scans and your description of symptoms. The joint is examined at the consultation as part of deciding whether the procedure suits you, and the doctor will say honestly if replacement is a more realistic option.

Should I stop taking painkillers before sending my scans?

No change is needed to send scans. Tell the coordinator which medicines you take, because the doctor needs to know about blood clotting disorders, infections or other illnesses. Any advice on medicines before the procedure comes from the doctor, not from general rules.

Which public holidays might delay my plans?

Romania has 15 non-working days, including Orthodox Easter from Friday to Monday and the days around 1 Dec. Coordinators answer round the clock, so you can send scans on those days, and the doctor confirms timing at the consultation.