City Medical Centre · multi-specialty surgery clinicOpen 24/7
EN
Message us on Telegram

PRP Injections for Joints in Iasi

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

Message us on WhatsApp

Free online consultation · Reply within 15 minutes

Knee joint: regenerative treatment without surgery
Joint treatment without surgery. Free consultation and review of your scans

Message our coordinator

Free online consultation · Reply within 15 minutes

Message us on Telegram

By messaging us, you agree to our Privacy Policy

What it is

What is regenerative
joint treatment?

Regenerative joint treatment uses material from your own body — platelet-rich plasma (PRP) from blood and the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) from a small sample of adipose tissue. It is injected into the affected joint to reduce pain and inflammation and to support the tissues inside it.

  • 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: 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

The doctor examines the joint, reviews your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound and decides whether the procedure suits you. If you already have scans, you can send them before the visit.

Blood sample for PRP2

Blood sample for PRP

A little blood is drawn from a vein; platelet-rich plasma with growth factors is prepared from it later.

Adipose tissue sample3

Adipose tissue sample

A small portion of adipose tissue (about 30 ml) is taken under local anaesthetic through a puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh. There is no need for 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

Ultrasound guidance allows the prepared material to be injected precisely, directly into the affected joint.

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

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

Cell therapy (SVF) from your own adipose tissue

From a small sample of your adipose tissue, the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) is isolated — cells that are involved in tissue repair. This fraction, combined with your plasma, is injected into the affected joint.

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

The usual reason to choose it: more pronounced changes in the joint and the goal of 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 is separated from a small amount of your blood and injected into the joint. It helps calm inflammation and creates better conditions for tissue 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

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

  • KneeKneeWorn cartilage, meniscus problems, pain on stairs or after walking
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderPain when raising the arm, wear of the joint and surrounding tendons
  • ElbowElbowPain after overload or sports strain, worn surfaces of the joint
  • Hand and wrist jointsHand and wrist jointsPainful, stiff small joints of the fingers and the wrist
  • AnkleAnklePain and stiffness after sprains and old injuries

Advantages

Why patients choose City Medical Centre

Treatment without surgery: we work to save your own joint rather than replace it

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

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

Beyond the day of the injection, we keep in touch after the procedure and follow your result

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

By messaging us, you agree to our Privacy Policy

Request a free call

Price

Joint treatment prices

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

FAQ

Joint treatment: frequently asked questions

About the conditions

More about these conditions

Other services of our clinic

Choosing joint treatment without surgery in Iasi

Joint treatment in Iasi is built around keeping your own joint. Instead of a long rehabilitation after surgery, you get injections under local anaesthetic, no crutches and no hospital stay, and the doctor stays in touch afterwards.

It starts with a consultation: the doctor examines the joint and reviews your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound. Then a small blood sample and an adipose tissue sample are taken, processed in a centrifuge and injected into the joint under ultrasound guidance. For patients from Iasi, everything is done in one day.

Book a free consultation in Iasi to find out whether regenerative joint treatment suits you. The doctor names the price after examining the joint and reviewing your scans.

Seven hills and stiff knees: what the terrain asks of your joints

Iasi sits in the historical region of Moldavia, in north-east Romania, on the Bahlui river. By common belief the city stands on seven hills: Breazu, Bucium, Cetatuia, Copou, Galata, Repedea and Sorogari. Its elevation runs from 34.5 m to 354.77 m, so a walk from one district to another can mean a real climb or descent. For a knee or a hip with early wear of the cartilage, slopes of this kind are often where the trouble is noticed first.

The joint descriptions in our medical material fit this setting closely. Knee problems typically show up as pain climbing stairs or after walking, with cartilage wear or meniscus trouble. Early hip osteoarthritis shows up as groin pain and limited rotation. If you recognise these signs on your daily route, that is a reason to have the joint examined, not a reason to wait.

Pain that only painkillers hold back for a short time is one of the signs that the treatment described here may be worth discussing. Regenerative joint treatment uses your own blood, which provides platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and a small sample of adipose tissue, which provides the stromal vascular fraction (SVF). The material is injected into the affected joint to help reduce pain and inflammation and to support the tissues inside it. Whether it suits you is decided by the doctor only after an examination and a review of your scans.

Damp winters, humid Decembers and aching joints

The climate of Iasi is classed as Köppen Dfb. In the 1991-2020 figures the January mean high is 1.3 °C and the mean low is -5.1 °C, and the record low of -36.3 °C was set in February. Snow totals 61.8 cm a year in the 1961-1990 normals, with 14.3 cm in February and 11.3 cm in January. Annual humidity averages 70%, and December reaches 83%.

Many people with joint complaints say that cold and damp make stiffness more noticeable. We cannot promise that weather is the cause, and it is not something the medical material establishes. What it does say is useful, though: stiffness after rest is a typical sign of osteoarthritis, while pain at rest and at night, morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes, swelling, redness and warmth over the joint point towards arthritis, which is an inflammation. The approach to treatment differs, so the diagnosis comes first.

Summer is warmer and drier. The July mean high is 29.0 °C and humidity in July averages 60%, with 291.2 hours of sunshine. Annual precipitation is 548.0 mm, with June the wettest month at 78.0 mm and February the driest at 25.8 mm. A mild season is a sensible time to send your scans and have a plan prepared, so that you know where you stand before the next cold months.

Trams, students and sport: movement in a busy city

Everyday movement in Iasi is wide-ranging. The public transport operator CTP Iasi runs 126 trams and 150 buses, and electric trams have operated since 1900, which means many journeys start and end on foot at a stop. The city has more than 60,000 students in five public universities, and Alexandru Ioan Cuza University alone had 24,047 students in 2019-2020.

Sport is part of the city too: FC Politehnica Iasi plays at the Emil Alexandrescu Stadium, and CS Politehnica Iasi has basketball (founded 1967) and rugby (1964) sections. High load on the joints, whether from sport or physical work, is one of the situations in which regenerative treatment can be considered. Recovery after injuries and surgery is another, as are pain, crunching or stiffness in a joint.

The same joints are not equally suited to every approach. Large and small joints can be treated: knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, the joints of the hand and wrist, and the ankle. The doctor settles the joint, the method and the number of injections after checking your scans. Ankle pain and stiffness after sprains and old injuries, and aching in the elbow after strain from sport or overuse, are both on that list.

An ageing population and the question of replacement

The city proper had 271,692 residents in the 2021 census, the metropolitan area 423,154, and Iasi County 760,774. We do not have an official figure for how many of them live with joint disease, and we will not guess. What can be said is that osteoarthritis is gradual wear of the cartilage, so the question of joint care becomes more common as people grow older and carry years of load on their joints.

Many people arrive at a consultation having heard that replacement is their only choice. Replacement is major surgery with 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. The chance of a lasting effect is higher at earlier stages, and the doctor judges the stage from your X-ray, MRI or ultrasound.

Honesty matters here. For a joint that is already badly damaged, replacement may be the more realistic option, and the doctor will say so after seeing your scans. For hip osteoarthritis at early stages, PRP or SVF injections combined with exercise therapy and physiotherapy can reduce pain and improve movement. For avascular necrosis of the hip at stages 1-2, SVF therapy may be considered to support blood supply to the femoral head and delay the need for replacement; at later stages surgery is usually required.

Insurance in Romania and where this online consultation fits

Health insurance in Romania is run by CNAS, the national authority managing the social health insurance system and a basic package of services that includes medical services, medicines, sanitary materials and medical devices. Free procedures require a health card showing paid insurance. Since April 2019 insured people may pay the difference between private-provider tariffs and the fund's fees.

Public sources describe the system as hospital-centric, with a shortage of healthcare workers, and note that out-of-pocket payments were about 21% of total health expenditure against an EU average of 15% (older data). CNAS has also begun introducing co-payments for certain services that are not strictly medically necessary. We found no official statement on whether regenerative injections for joints are covered, so please confirm with your insurer or family doctor instead of assuming.

The consultation with us is online and free, and it includes a review of your scans. Coordinators answer round the clock on WhatsApp and Telegram. You send existing X-rays, MRI, CT or reports, a doctor assesses them independently, and you hear whether treatment without surgery could suit you and what else may be needed. The cost is stated by the doctor after the consultation, because the joint, the stage and the method all affect it, and there is no obligation to book anything.

How the procedure goes and what to expect afterwards

The steps are the same for everyone. After the consultation, a small amount of blood is taken from a vein for PRP. Under local anaesthetic the doctor takes roughly 30 ml of adipose tissue through a small puncture in the abdomen or inner thigh, with no stitches. The sample is spun in a centrifuge, and the SVF isolated from it is mixed with platelet-rich plasma. The material is then injected into the joint under ultrasound guidance. The whole procedure is done in one day.

PRP alone can be used as a course of injections, or paired with SVF. SVF is usually chosen when changes in the joint are more marked and the aim is a longer-lasting effect. There is no hospital stay and no crutches, and the doctor keeps in touch afterwards to follow how the joint responds. Return to normal life is normally within a day or two, with recommendations for load and exercise in the first weeks.

The timeline given for guidance is as follows. After 1 week the joint may ache a little more, which is an expected reaction. After 1 month the pain usually eases. At about 3 months mobility and activity improve, and at about 6 months the full effect develops. This differs from person to person and depends on the stage, body weight, activity and other factors. As with any injection, temporary pain, swelling or bruising are possible and infection is rare, and no one can promise a fixed result.

Does the cold, damp winter in Iasi mean I should wait until spring for a consultation?

No. The consultation is online and your scans can be reviewed at any time of year. The doctor assesses the stage of the condition from your X-ray, MRI or ultrasound, so there is no need to wait for a particular season. If the procedure goes ahead, the doctor gives load and exercise recommendations for the first weeks.

I live on one of the city's hills and climb stairs every day. Is this a reason to have my knee checked?

Pain climbing stairs or after walking is among the typical knee signs: cartilage wear or meniscus trouble. It does not prove a diagnosis, though. The doctor examines the joint and your scans first, and only then says whether PRP or SVF injections suit you.

Does Romanian health insurance cover PRP or SVF injections?

We found no official information confirming that it does. CNAS manages the basic services package, and free procedures require a health card showing paid insurance. Please ask your insurer or family doctor about your own case. The cost of treatment with us is stated by the doctor after the consultation.

Which scans should I send from Iasi, and in what format?

X-ray, MRI, CT, ultrasound or written medical reports are all suitable. You can send them to the coordinator on WhatsApp or Telegram, and a doctor reviews them free of charge. You will hear whether the procedure could suit you and what else may be needed.

Is a heavy cold or flu a reason to postpone?

Yes, temporarily. A fever, a cold or flu, and skin inflammation over the joint to be treated are temporary contraindications. Given Iasi's cold, humid winters, it is worth telling the coordinator about any recent illness when you arrange the consultation.

Can I still be treated if I do sport or heavy physical work?

High load on the joints is one of the situations in which the treatment is considered, as is recovery after injuries. The doctor decides after reviewing your scans. Joints with an active infection, or in people with cancer, pregnancy or blood clotting disorders, are not treated.

How is arthritis different from the osteoarthritis typical of an ageing joint?

Osteoarthritis is gradual wear of the cartilage, with aching pain on movement, crunching and stiffness after rest. Arthritis is inflammation, with pain at rest and at night, morning stiffness over 30 minutes, swelling, redness and warmth. The approach differs, so the diagnosis comes first.

Do public holidays in Romania affect contact with the coordinators?

No. Coordinators answer 24/7 on WhatsApp and Telegram, including on the 15 non-working days of the Romanian calendar such as Orthodox Easter or 1 December. Send your scans whenever it suits you.