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Joint Treatment for Patients from Munster

For the knee, hip, shoulder and other joints: PRP and cell therapy (SVF). Your scans are reviewed free before you commit

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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

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: fever, flu or a cold, skin inflammation over 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

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

We take a small blood sample from a vein. From it, platelet-rich plasma containing growth factors is prepared later on.

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

Spinning the sample in a centrifuge separates it into layers, after which the stromal vascular fraction is isolated and added to the platelet-rich plasma.

Injection into the joint5

Injection into the joint

The doctor injects the prepared material directly into the affected joint, using ultrasound to place it precisely.

Follow-up6

Follow-up

No crutches, no hospital stay — and after the procedure the doctor keeps in touch to follow the joint's response.

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

We use nothing but your own blood and adipose tissue, with no donor or synthetic material

Cell therapy (SVF) from your own adipose tissue

A little of your adipose tissue is processed to isolate SVF — the stromal vascular fraction, which contains cells involved in repairing tissue. It is then combined with your own plasma and injected into the 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

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 can be given as its own 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

Both large and small joints are treated; the joint, the method and the number of injections are chosen by the doctor once your scans are reviewed

  • KneeKneeMeniscus trouble, worn cartilage, pain when using stairs or after walking
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderPain when raising the arm, wear of the joint and surrounding tendons
  • ElbowElbowPain caused by overuse or sports strain; worn joint surfaces
  • Hand and wrist jointsHand and wrist jointsAching and stiffness in the small wrist and finger joints
  • AnkleAnklePain and stiffness after sprains and old injuries

Advantages

Why patients choose City Medical Centre

Rather than replacing the joint, we work to keep your own — treatment without surgery

Your own tissue

Your own tissue

We use nothing but your own blood and adipose tissue, with no donor or synthetic material

No crutches

No crutches

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

Second opinion

Second opinion

A doctor will independently assess your X-rays, MRI or reports free of charge once you send them

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

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Request a free call

Price

Joint treatment prices

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

FAQ

Joint treatment: frequently asked questions

About the conditions

More about these conditions

Other services of our clinic

Joint treatment in Munster: from scan review to follow-up

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 Munster, 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 Munster.

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

Münster's gentle slopes and what they ask of the knees and hips

Münster is not a mountain town. The city centre lies at 60 m above sea level, the highest point (the Vorbergshügel) reaches 99.8 m, and the lowest point, on the Ems, sits at 38.6 m. That is a spread of about 61 m across a municipal area of 303.28 km². Joint pain here rarely comes from steep climbs. It tends to build up from repeated, ordinary loading: walking on level ground, stepping on and off kerbs, standing for long periods, and every staircase in older buildings.

The city has 306,368 inhabitants, with a density of 1,010.2 per km². That is a compact urban setting where much of daily life happens on foot or on two wheels. A knee that starts to ache after walking, or a hip that gives a pulling pain in the groin, usually shows itself gradually. Many people put up with it for months because they can still get around. Painkillers that help only for a short time are one of the signs the medical centre's doctors ask about first.

Conditions such as gonarthrosis (knee osteoarthritis) and coxarthrosis (hip osteoarthritis) develop as cartilage thins. The joint then loses its cushioning, and pain, stiffness and crunching appear. If you live in a flat, uneven ground matters less than the number of times a day your joints are asked to bear weight. The doctor will ask about those details during the online consultation, along with your X-ray, MRI or ultrasound.

Regenerative treatment is built around your own tissue. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) comes from a small blood sample. The stromal vascular fraction (SVF) comes from roughly 30 ml of adipose tissue taken under local anaesthetic through a small puncture. After processing in a centrifuge, the material is placed into the joint under ultrasound guidance. Whether this suits you depends on the stage of the condition, and the doctor judges that from your scans, not from where you live.

Cycling in a city that calls itself Germany's bicycle capital

Münster describes itself as the bicycle capital of Germany. In 2007, bicycle traffic made up 37.6% of journeys, slightly more than the 36.4% for vehicle traffic. A ring called the Promenade, which is friendly to cyclists, encircles the city centre. For anyone who rides daily, that means thousands of pedal strokes a week, with the knee bending and straightening under load each time.

Cycling is gentle on joints compared with running, but it does not make a painful joint irrelevant. If you notice pain at the front of the knee after a ride, stiffness after sitting, or pain when you push off from a stop, that is worth a proper look. The same applies to a hip that tightens when you swing your leg over the saddle. The doctor will ask which movements hurt, whether pain wakes you at night, and how long morning stiffness lasts. Stiffness of more than 30 minutes points towards inflammation, which is how arthritis differs from osteoarthritis.

The medical centre treats the knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, the small joints of the hand and wrist, and the ankle. A cyclist may have a problem in more than one place, for example a knee with meniscus trouble and a wrist that aches from leaning on the handlebars. Large and small joints can be treated, and the doctor settles the joint, the method and the number of injections only after checking your scans.

If your pain started after a fall from a bicycle or a sprain, the ankle and shoulder sections of the programme may be relevant. Recovery after injuries and surgery is on the list of conditions handled, and you can send existing scans before the consultation so the doctor does not have to start from nothing.

What a damp, mild climate means for stiff joints

Münster's climate is temperate and wet. The 2015–2020 table gives annual precipitation of 672 mm over 183 rainy days, while the longer-term figure is about 735.7 mm. August is the wettest month at 79 mm, followed by June at 77 mm. May (33 mm) and April (34 mm) are the driest. Relative humidity averages 78.6% over the year and reaches 85–86% from November to January.

Winters are not extreme. In January the mean daily maximum is 5.7 °C and the minimum 0.4 °C, and in February the minimum is 0.7 °C. Summers are warm without being hot: a July maximum averaging 25.3 °C, 24.3 °C in August and 23.4 °C in June, with an annual mean maximum of 15.4 °C (DWD, 2015–2020). Sunshine averages 4.1 hours a day, with 6.6 hours in May and only 1.3 hours in December. The long-term total is about 1,598 sunshine hours a year.

Many people with joint complaints say that damp, cold weather makes them feel stiffer. Medical text cannot promise that weather causes or cures arthrosis, and the facts do not say so. What can be said is this: from November to January, with humidity at 85–86% and daily maximums near 5.7 °C in January, people tend to move less and stay indoors, and a joint that is not moved often feels stiff when you finally do. That is a reason to plan exercise, not a diagnosis.

Weather also affects scheduling. Joint treatment of this kind is done in a single day, and the doctor advises on load and exercise afterwards. In the first week the joint may ache a little more, which is an expected reaction. If you are choosing a time, think about when you can rest for a day or two and whether you have a cold or flu. A fever, a cold or flu, or skin inflammation over the joint are temporary reasons to postpone. The cold season in Münster is long enough that such colds are a realistic consideration, so mention any recent illness to the coordinator.

Students, fairs and an active population

Münster is a university city. The university alone had 41,217 students in the winter semester 2025/26, and the city as a whole has about 65,000 students (2018 figure; another count gave 61,441 in 2015/16). Young people are not the usual patients for osteoarthritis, but joint trouble is not limited to age. Recovery after injuries and surgery, meniscus damage, and pain after heavy sport or physical work all appear among the conditions the medical centre handles.

If you are a student or a younger adult with a sports injury, bring your MRI report to the first message. The doctor can judge whether a meniscus problem or a post-injury joint could benefit from PRP, SVF or both. For a student the practical question is often study and exam timing. The service text says normal life returns within a day or two with no crutches and no long rehabilitation, but it also says the doctor gives load recommendations for the first weeks. Ask for those in writing so you can plan around lectures and sport.

Then there is the Send fair, held three times a year: in spring during Lent, in June, and in October. It draws more than one million visitors annually. Large events like this involve long periods of standing and walking on hard ground. If you have a knee or ankle that complains after a day on your feet, that is a reasonable moment to plan treatment before the event, not during it. Leave at least some days for the joint to settle, since pain may rise a little in the first week.

The medical centre's coordinators answer round the clock on WhatsApp and Telegram, so you do not have to wait for a particular weekday to send your scans. A free review is offered before any decision, and there is no obligation to book.

Osteoarthritis in Germany: numbers worth knowing

About five million people in Germany have osteoarthritis (Arthrose). In 2016, around 400,000 hip and knee joint replacement operations (Endoprothetik) were performed. These figures show how common wear of the joints is and how often replacement becomes the final step. They also explain why a second opinion is a sensible request. Many patients hear that replacement is their only choice.

For comparison, after an uncomplicated hip replacement the inpatient stay lasts about six to eight days in most clinics, and the follow-up rehabilitation (Anschlussheilbehandlung) is arranged during the stay. That is a useful benchmark for the burden of the standard route: a stay in hospital, a rehabilitation programme, and an implant that may eventually need to be redone.

Regenerative treatment is a different route. There is no hospital stay and no crutches. The doctor works with punctures under local anaesthetic, not incisions. The material is your own blood and adipose tissue. It is aimed at people with early or moderate arthrosis, and the chances of a lasting effect are higher at earlier stages. For a badly damaged joint, replacement may be the more realistic option, and the doctor will say so honestly after seeing the scans.

It would be wrong to present these two routes as simple opposites. Some joints need replacement. The aim of the online consultation is to find out whether yours is one of them, or whether you still have a stage where preserving your own joint makes sense. In avascular necrosis of the hip, for example, SVF therapy may be considered at stages 1–2 to support the blood supply to the femoral head and delay joint replacement. At later stages surgery is usually required.

Statutory insurance and how to think about coverage

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 readers will therefore have a health insurer, and the natural question is whether it pays for regenerative injections.

The facts available here do not answer that, and no one should state it without checking your insurer's own terms. What the facts do show is that German statutory insurance draws a line around procedures done at the patient's own request without medical need: for those, insurers do not cover the costs. After a procedure that is medically not indicated, insured persons must share in the cost of complications, including sick pay, and under § 52 SGB V an insurer may restrict or refuse benefits. Those rules are written about cosmetic procedures, not about joint treatment, so do not read them as a ruling on PRP or SVF.

The practical approach is simple. Ask your insurer in writing what it covers for injection treatment of the joint, and what documents it needs. The medical centre states the cost after the consultation, once the joint, the stage and the method are known. The consultation and the review of your scans are free. If you have private insurance, ask whether it names regenerative injections or only surgery and standard therapy.

It also helps to know that a 2010 Commonwealth Fund survey found 70% of Germans reported waiting less than one month for elective surgery. Waiting times are therefore not the usual barrier. The usual barrier is uncertainty about whether surgery is needed at all. A free second opinion on your X-rays, MRI, CT or reports, with no obligation to book, answers exactly that question.

Getting your scans and questions ready

The consultation is online, so preparation is mostly about documents. Gather any X-ray, MRI or ultrasound images and the written reports. If a scan exists only on a disc or in a patient portal, ask the imaging centre for a digital copy. Note the date of each scan: the doctor will want to know how recent the images are compared with your symptoms.

Write down a short history. Where does it hurt? When did it start? Is there pain at rest or at night? Does morning stiffness last more than 30 minutes? Which painkillers have you taken, and for how long did they help? Have you had previous injections, injuries or operations on that joint? Is there any cancer, pregnancy, blood clotting disorder, acute infection or flare-up of a serious chronic illness? These are reasons the procedure is not done, and the doctor checks them at the consultation.

If you are comparing PRP alone with cell therapy (SVF + PRP), keep in mind the difference. PRP uses blood from a vein, and a course of injections can be done with it alone. SVF is isolated from a sample of adipose tissue and is usually the choice when changes in the joint are more marked and a longer-lasting effect is the aim. In both cases the whole procedure is done in one day, and the injection goes into the joint under ultrasound.

After the procedure the doctor keeps in touch. Over the first week the joint may ache a little more. By about one month the pain usually eases, by about three months mobility and activity improve, and by about six months the full effect develops. These are averaged timings given for guidance. No one can promise a fixed result, and duration differs from person to person.

Body weight, activity and what shapes the outcome

The service text says that how long the effect lasts depends on the stage of the condition, body weight, activity and other factors. Body weight deserves a short, factual note. In Germany, the Mikrozensus 2009 survey found adult obesity (BMI 30 and above) in 15.7% of men and 13.8% of women. The measured DEGS 2008/11 data gave 23.3% of men and 23.9% of women, because surveys based on self-reports give lower values than measurements. Extra body weight adds load to the knee and hip, and the doctor takes it into account when explaining what to expect.

If weight is part of your picture, the bariatric route is a separate matter. Bariatric surgery is not part of the regular benefit catalogue of statutory insurance but can be applied for in individual cases. The conditions include proof that conservative weight-loss methods were used for 6 to 12 months in a multimodal concept, and an assessment by the Medizinischer Dienst. The German S3 guideline indicates it from BMI 40 kg/m² even without comorbidities, and from BMI 35 kg/m² when an obesity-related illness occurs together with it. Joint pain and obesity can occur together, and tackling both is sometimes the sensible plan. The medical centre's other services include bariatric surgery, but it is a different decision from joint injections.

The point is not to blame anyone. It is to say honestly that the plan and recovery depend on your joint and individual features, and the doctor confirms them at the consultation. Activity matters too. Regular, moderate movement supports the joint, while heavy sport or physical work puts a high load on it. Both groups are listed among those the treatment can suit.

Does Münster's cycling culture change what I should tell the doctor about my knee?

It helps to be specific. Münster describes itself as the bicycle capital of Germany, and in 2007 cycling accounted for 37.6% of journeys. If you ride daily, tell the doctor how often, on what kind of surfaces, and which movement hurts: pushing off, climbing a kerb, or sitting with the knee bent. This helps the doctor connect your symptoms with the scans before deciding on PRP or SVF.

Is the damp winter weather a reason to delay or to schedule the treatment?

Neither automatically. Humidity averages 85–86% from November to January, and the January mean maximum is 5.7 °C, but weather does not decide whether the treatment suits you. What matters is your health on the day: a fever, a cold, flu or skin inflammation over the joint are temporary reasons to postpone. Mention any recent illness to the coordinator when you pick a date.

The Send fair brings over a million visitors a year. Should I plan around it?

If you expect long hours on your feet at one of the three annual fairs (spring, June, October), leave a few days between the procedure and the event. The joint may ache a little more during the first week, which is an expected reaction. The doctor gives load and exercise recommendations for the first weeks, so ask about busy days in your calendar.

I am a student in Münster. Can I have joint treatment around my studies?

Often yes, because the procedure is done in one day with no hospital stay and no crutches, and normal life usually resumes within a day or two. Münster has tens of thousands of students, and joint problems after sports injuries or meniscus damage are among the conditions the doctors assess. Send your MRI or ultrasound report, and ask for the load recommendations in writing so you can plan lectures and sport.

Will my statutory health insurance pay for PRP or SVF?

The facts on hand do not give a ruling, so check with your insurer in writing. About 92% of people in Germany are in statutory insurance. The known rules about non-covered costs concern procedures done at the patient's request without medical need, not joint injections, so do not assume either answer. The medical centre states the cost after the free consultation, once the joint, stage and method are known.

Around five million people in Germany have osteoarthritis. Does that mean most of them need a joint replacement?

No. About 400,000 hip and knee replacements were done in 2016, which is far fewer than the number of people with arthrosis. The figures show that replacement is common but not the only course. The doctor judges from your scans whether the stage is early or moderate enough to try preserving your own joint, or whether replacement is the more realistic option.

How does the recovery compare with a hip replacement, where the hospital stay lasts six to eight days?

Regenerative treatment involves no hospital stay and no crutches. After an uncomplicated hip replacement, most clinics keep patients for about six to eight days and arrange follow-up rehabilitation during that time. With PRP or SVF the doctor works with punctures under local anaesthetic, and after the procedure stays in touch. The two routes suit different stages, so the scans decide.

What should I prepare before the online consultation?

Collect your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound images and the written reports, with the dates. Write down where it hurts, since when, whether pain wakes you at night, how long morning stiffness lasts, and which painkillers you have tried. Note any cancer, pregnancy, clotting disorder or acute infection. The coordinators answer round the clock on WhatsApp and Telegram, and the first reply usually comes within 15 minutes.

Does body weight matter for the result in Münster or anywhere else in Germany?

Yes, it is one of the factors that influence how long the effect lasts, along with the stage of the condition and activity. Measured data (DEGS 2008/11) show 23.3% of men and 23.9% of women in Germany with a BMI of 30 or above. The doctor takes your weight into account when explaining what to expect. No one can promise a fixed result.

Is the effect the same in a cold, wet region as in a dry one?

There is no evidence in the available material that climate changes the outcome. The timings are averaged: the joint may ache more after 1 week, pain usually eases by 1 month, mobility improves at about 3 months, and the full effect develops at about 6 months. What shapes the result is the stage, body weight, activity and individual features. The doctor confirms the plan at the consultation.