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Cell Therapy for Joints in Cordoba

SVF cell therapy and PRP for knees, hips, shoulders and other joints — with a free scan review before you decide anything

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

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: 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

At the consultation the joint is examined and your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound are reviewed to decide if the procedure suits you. You can send existing scans before you come.

Blood sample for PRP2

Blood sample for PRP

The nurse takes a small amount of venous blood; platelet-rich plasma with growth factors is prepared from it afterwards.

Adipose tissue sample3

Adipose tissue sample

With local anaesthetic, a small amount of adipose tissue (around 30 ml) is taken via a puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh — without stitches.

Processing in a centrifuge4

Processing in a centrifuge

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

Injection into the joint5

Injection into the joint

The finished material is injected into the affected joint itself, guided by ultrasound so that it lands precisely.

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 your own blood and adipose tissue — no donor or synthetic material is used

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

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

Plasma rich in platelets and growth factors comes from a small amount of your blood; once injected into the joint, it helps reduce inflammation and sets up better conditions for tissue repair.

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

It works either as a stand-alone course of injections or alongside 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 or small, each joint is assessed on your scans first — then the doctor chooses the method and how many injections are needed

  • KneeKneeWear of the cartilage, meniscus problems, pain on the stairs and after walks
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderPain lifting the arm, worn tendons around the joint and the joint itself
  • ElbowElbowPain after overload or sports strain, worn surfaces of the joint
  • Hand and wrist jointsHand and wrist jointsStiffness and pain in the small joints of the fingers and wrist
  • 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

Only your own blood and adipose tissue — no donor or synthetic material is used

No crutches

No crutches

Punctures instead of incisions, local anaesthetic, no long rehabilitation

Second opinion

Second opinion

A doctor gives a free, independent assessment of the X-rays, MRI or reports you send us

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 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

Other services of our clinic

What Cordoba residents ask about joint treatment

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 Cordoba, the doctor often combines the two.

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 Cordoba.

Do not put off joint pain for years. Book a free consultation in Cordoba: 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.

A river plain, a large municipality and the joints that carry you through it

Córdoba lies in the Guadalquivir depression. The river crosses the city from east-northeast to west-southwest, mostly along its right bank. The city itself sits at about 123-125 m above sea level, and the municipal figure is 106 m. The municipality is very extensive, about 1,253 km², and had 324,902 inhabitants in 2024, which makes it the twelfth largest in Spain. The metropolitan area is a little over 354,000 people. With a municipality of that size, the distances people cover each day depend heavily on where they live and work. For the joints, that means many hours of walking, standing, climbing stairs and getting in and out of vehicles.

Joint pain usually announces itself in these everyday movements. The joint-treatment material describes the typical complaints by joint. In the knee it is pain climbing stairs or after walking, cartilage wear and meniscus trouble. In the hip it is groin pain and limited rotation. In the shoulder it is pain on raising the arm. In the ankle it is stiffness after sprains and old injuries. Small joints of the hand and wrist can stiffen and ache as well. If you recognise one of these patterns, the first step is not a decision about a procedure. It is a review of your X-ray, MRI or ultrasound.

The treatment itself is regenerative. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is prepared from your own blood, and 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, which helps to reduce pain and inflammation and to support the tissues inside the joint. It is aimed at people who want to postpone or avoid joint replacement, or who have been told that replacement is their only choice. Chances of a lasting effect are higher at earlier stages, and the doctor judges the stage from your scans, not from the pain alone.

Because the consultation is online, you can start from your own home in Córdoba. The coordinator replies round the clock on WhatsApp and Telegram, asks for the scans you already have, and passes them to the doctor. The scan review is free of charge and does not commit you to anything.

Mild Januaries, damp Decembers, extreme Julys

The numbers for Córdoba show a climate of wide contrasts. In July and August the average daily maximum is 37.1 and 37.0 °C, with minimums around 19 °C. In January the average maximum is 15.2 °C and the minimum 3.7 °C. The recorded extremes are 46.9 °C, reached on 13 July 2017 and again on 14 August 2021, and −8.2 °C on 28 January 2005. Annual precipitation is 572.9 mm over 55.1 days. December (90.7 mm), November (79.2 mm) and October (78.7 mm) are the wettest months, while July is almost dry at 0.5 mm. Relative humidity is 38 % in July and 78 % in December, and the city gets about 2,990 hours of sun a year, from 372 hours in July down to 161 in December.

Many people with arthrosis feel that stiffness changes with the weather. Nothing in the procedure itself depends on it, though, and no medical rule ties it to a season. What matters is your condition on the day. Skin inflammation over the joint to be treated, a fever, a cold or flu are temporary reasons to wait. In a humid, rainy winter, colds are easy to catch, so tell the coordinator if you are unwell, and the doctor will help you choose a sensible moment.

The extreme heat of summer has a practical side as well. During the first week after the procedure the joint may ache a little more, and the doctor describes this as an expected reaction. It makes sense to plan that week for rest and to follow the load and exercise recommendations you receive for the first weeks. Neither crutches nor a hospital stay are needed, and most people return to normal life within a day or two. Still, the days right after the procedure are better spent in a cool room than on a long walk at midday in July.

Cold, wet months call for similar care. Sore, stiff joints on a damp December morning are not by themselves a reason for treatment. A morning stiffness that lasts more than 30 minutes, together with swelling, redness or warmth over the joint, suggests inflammation, which is arthritis rather than wear of the cartilage. The approach differs between the two, so the diagnosis comes first.

Arthrosis in national statistics, and what body weight changes

The 2020 European Health Survey, run by Spain's national statistics institute, ranks arthrosis as the third most common diagnosed chronic problem in people aged 15 and over. It affects 14.4 %, after high blood pressure at 19.0 % and high cholesterol at 15.3 %. Lower back pain follows at 13.7 %. These are national figures, not Córdoba's own, but they show that joint wear is a mainstream health issue and not a rare one.

The same survey gives a picture of body weight. Obesity affects 16.0 % of adults (16.5 % of men, 15.5 % of women), overweight 37.6 %, and altogether 53.6 % of adults are above the weight considered normal. Weight matters for the knees and hips because they bear the load of every step. In the treatment material, the duration of the effect is said to depend on the stage of the condition, body weight, activity and other factors. Nobody can promise a fixed outcome, and an honest consultation will say so.

Osteoarthritis, the wear of the cartilage covering the ends of the bones, is a degenerative condition. When the cartilage thins, the joint loses its cushioning, the bones rub against each other, and pain, stiffness and crunching appear. Gonarthrosis is osteoarthritis of the knee and coxarthrosis is osteoarthritis of the hip. For the hip, 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 route, and the doctor will say so after seeing the scans.

Córdoba also has a young population side. The University of Córdoba, founded in 1972, has about 21,000 enrolled students, and the city has a second university, Loyola Andalucía. Sport injuries, meniscus damage and recovery after operations are not only conditions of older age. The programme includes rehabilitation after injuries and surgery, and people with a high load on their joints, through sport or physical work, are among those for whom the treatment may suit.

Waiting lists and the public system: how the numbers look

Many people first meet the question of joint care in the public system, so it helps to see the figures. At the end of 2025 the national health system recorded 121 days of average surgical waiting time across the country. Andalucía stood at 173 days, with 199,950 patients waiting, or 23.51 per 1,000 inhabitants. Within Andalucía, traumatology had 42,247 patients waiting for an operation and an average of 187 days.

For joint replacement the national data are more specific. A hip prosthesis meant an average wait of 98 days, and 13.7 % of patients exceeded the maximum period of 180 days. A knee prosthesis meant 105 days, with 15.9 % over 180. Before any operation there is a first specialist consultation. Nationally, 84.42 of every 1,000 people were waiting for one, with an average of 102 days, and traumatology had the longest wait for a consultation, at 132 days. One caution: the initial publication of these national figures was followed by a later correction note concerning data from Castilla-La Mancha, so the national totals may shift slightly.

These figures do not mean that anything is wrong with your own case. They explain why people use the waiting period to get a second opinion on their scans. Sending your X-ray, MRI, CT or reports to our doctor costs nothing and does not interfere with any public-sector referral you already have. You hear whether injection treatment could suit your stage or whether replacement is likely the more realistic option, and in the latter case you can go back to your public specialist better informed.

Any planned course should also be set out in writing. The doctor states the method, the joint and the number of injections after reviewing your scans, and confirms them at the consultation. The benefits and timings you read in general materials are averaged and given for guidance only.

How the procedure goes, and what to prepare from home

The steps are short to describe. First comes the consultation, in which the joint is assessed and your scans reviewed. Then 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 stitches are not needed. The samples are spun in a centrifuge, the stromal vascular fraction is isolated and mixed with the plasma, and the finished material is injected into the joint under ultrasound guidance. The whole procedure is done in one day. Afterwards the doctor keeps in touch and follows how the joint responds.

PRP can be used alone, as a course of injections, or paired with SVF. SVF is usually chosen when the changes in the joint are more marked and the aim is a longer-lasting effect. Only your own blood and adipose tissue are used, with no donor or synthetic material. That is why the risk of rejection or allergic reaction is very low, though temporary pain, swelling or bruising are possible and infection is rare.

To make the online consultation useful, gather what you already have. Useful items are X-rays, MRI or ultrasound images, CT scans and any medical reports. Photos of printed reports are fine if the text is legible. Note which joint hurts, when the pain began, what eases it and how long painkillers help. Mention any condition on the list of exclusions: cancer, pregnancy, blood clotting disorders, acute infections including infection in or near the joint, or a flare-up of a serious chronic illness. Those who have any of them are not suitable for the procedure.

The calendar matters a little, too. Córdoba's Feria de Nuestra Señora de la Salud takes place in the last full week of May, and the Patios Festival, recognised by UNESCO as World Heritage in 2012, is another fixed point of the local year. If you want to be on your feet for such events, tell the coordinator in advance. The doctor can then plan the weeks around them and give clear instructions on load.

Questions from Córdoba

Does damp winter weather in Córdoba make joint injections less suitable?

The weather does not decide it. What counts is your state on the day. Skin inflammation over the joint, a fever, a cold or flu are temporary reasons to postpone. December in Córdoba is the wettest month, with 90.7 mm of rain and 78 % relative humidity, and colds are common then, so mention any symptoms to the coordinator. The doctor will help choose a suitable moment.

Is it a problem to schedule the first week of recovery in the Córdoba summer?

The joint may ache a little more during the first week, which is an expected reaction. Average maximums in July and August are above 37 °C, and the record is 46.9 °C. It is sensible to plan that week for rest in a cool place and to follow the load recommendations the doctor gives for the first weeks. No crutches or hospital stay are needed.

Is arthrosis common enough in Spain that I should not worry about mild symptoms?

Arthrosis is the third most common diagnosed chronic problem among people aged 15 and over in Spain, at 14.4 %. Being common does not make it harmless. Pain that lasts, stiffness, crunching or painkillers that help only briefly are reasons to have the scans reviewed. The review is free and shows which stage you are at.

I am on a public waiting list for a hip or knee prosthesis in Andalucía. Can I still ask for a second opinion?

Yes. Your X-rays, MRI, CT or reports are reviewed by a doctor free of charge, and nothing obliges you to book anything. At the end of 2025 the average national wait for a hip prosthesis was 98 days and for a knee prosthesis 105 days, while Andalucía's average for all surgery was 173 days. A second opinion can help you decide how to use that time. If your joint is badly damaged, the doctor will tell you honestly that replacement may be the more realistic option.

Does body weight affect whether PRP or SVF will work for me?

Body weight is one of the factors that influence how long the effect lasts, along with the stage of the condition and your activity level. In Spain, 53.6 % of adults are above the weight considered normal, so this is a frequent question. The doctor takes it into account when explaining what to expect, and no one can promise a fixed result.

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

Send whatever you already have: X-ray, MRI or ultrasound images, a CT scan or written reports. Clear photos or files sent through WhatsApp or Telegram are enough for the coordinator to pass them on. If you have no scans yet, tell the coordinator, and you will learn which examination the doctor needs first.

I am a student or play sport. Is injection treatment only for older people?

No. The treatment is considered for people with joint pain after injuries or operations, meniscus problems, and those with a high joint load from sport or physical work. Córdoba has two universities, with about 21,000 enrolled students at the University of Córdoba alone. The doctor decides after reviewing your scans, and early or moderate changes are where chances of a lasting effect are higher.