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Knee and Hip Treatment in Murcia Without Surgery

PRP and SVF cell therapy for the knee, hip, shoulder and more. We review your scans free of charge before any decision

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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

It is a doctor who decides if the treatment fits you — after an examination and a review of 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: 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

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

From a vein, a small amount of blood is taken. It is later used to prepare plasma rich in platelets and growth factors.

Adipose tissue sample3

Adipose tissue sample

A puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh, made under local anaesthetic, is used to take a small portion of adipose tissue, about 30 ml. No stitches follow.

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

Follow-up6

Follow-up

The procedure needs no crutches or hospital stay. Afterwards the doctor remains in touch and follows 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

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

Cell therapy (SVF) from your own adipose tissue

A small sample of your adipose tissue is processed to isolate the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) — a mix of cells involved in tissue repair. Combined with your own plasma, it is injected 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

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 used on its own as a course of injections, or together 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

Treatment covers large and small joints, with the joint, the method and the number of injections chosen after the doctor reviews your scans

  • KneeKneePain climbing stairs or after walking, cartilage wear, meniscus trouble
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderPain on raising the arm and wear of the joint and nearby tendons
  • 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 hand 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

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

No crutches

No crutches

Local anaesthetic, punctures instead of incisions, and 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

Our care goes beyond the day of the injection: we stay in touch and follow the 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 joint, the method and the stage of the condition determine the cost, so it is set after the consultation

FAQ

Joint treatment: frequently asked questions

About the conditions

More about these conditions

Other services of our clinic

What Murcia residents ask about joint treatment

The method relies on your own tissue only, so there is no donor or synthetic material. Plasma is prepared from a small blood sample, and SVF from about 30 ml of adipose tissue taken through a puncture. This is how non-surgical joint treatment works for everyone in Murcia.

PRP can be given as a course of injections or together with SVF. The number of injections and the method are chosen individually for each patient from Murcia after the examination and scan review.

Patients from Murcia can start with a free second opinion: send your X-rays, MRI, CT or reports, and a doctor will tell you whether SVF or PRP could help. The price of treatment is named at the consultation.

Flat river plain, steep edges: what the terrain asks of your knees

Murcia sits at 43 m above sea level. The Segura crosses the city from west to east through the middle of the huerta, with hills to the north and the Cordillera Sur behind. The centre is mostly level ground. The wider municipality is another matter: it covers 881.86 km2 and rises from 25 m at the last stretch of the Segura to 1,031 m at the Morro de la Fuente in the Carrascoy range. The Parque Regional de Carrascoy y El Valle lies to the south. People living near that southern edge, or in the hillier districts to the north, deal with slopes on ordinary days, and those slopes tend to be what first shows up a tired knee or hip.

The treatment page describes the typical complaints for each joint in plain terms. For the knee, it lists pain climbing stairs or after walking, cartilage wear and meniscus trouble. For the hip, it lists early osteoarthritis, groin pain and limited rotation. These are everyday signals rather than dramatic ones. If a gentle incline, a tram-free walk to the market or a few a few sets of stairs now takes planning, that is worth putting in front of a doctor, together with any scans you already have.

The city also has MuyBici, a public bicycle system for everyday trips that has run since April 2015. Cycling on level ground is a common way to keep moving with a sore knee, because it loads the joint differently from walking downhill. It is not a substitute for a diagnosis. If pain appears on the pedals, or stiffness lingers after you get off, describe exactly when it happens during the online consultation. The doctor can use that detail alongside your X-ray, MRI or ultrasound.

Regenerative treatment here means PRP from your own blood and, where suitable, the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) from a small sample of your own adipose tissue, injected into the joint under ultrasound guidance. The aim is to reduce pain and inflammation and support the tissues inside the joint. It is not a promise of a fixed result, and the doctor decides after reviewing your scans.

Mild winters, dry air and what the weather really changes

Murcia has a hot semi-arid climate. The 1991–2020 normals show July and August as the warmest months, with average highs of 34.3 and 34.5 °C and lows of 21.2 and 21.8 °C. January is the coldest month, with an average high of 17.2 °C and a low of 5.3 °C. The recorded extremes are 46.2 °C in August and −7.5 °C in January and December. Snow is almost absent, at 0.1 days a year.

Rain is scarce and arrives in bursts. The annual total is about 282 mm over only 34 days with at least 1 mm. July is the driest month, at 1.2 mm. September is the wettest, at 37.6 mm, followed by December at 32.5 mm. Average relative humidity over the year is 57 %, and the city gets 3,077 hours of sun a year, ranging from 366 hours in July to 180 in December.

Many people with sore joints say they feel the weather. Nothing in the treatment information ties joint wear to damp or cold, so this guide will not claim a link. What the climate does change is behaviour. A mild January day invites a walk, while a September downpour may keep someone indoors for a few days. Long sedentary spells can leave stiffness after rest, a typical sign of osteoarthritis. By contrast, arthritis tends to bring pain at rest and at night, morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes, and swelling, redness and warmth over the joint. Telling the two apart is a diagnosis question, and the approach to treatment differs.

The weather also matters for timing. The treatment information lists a fever, a cold or flu, and skin inflammation over the joint as temporary reasons to wait. A winter virus or a sunburnt, irritated patch of skin over a knee in summer are exactly such cases. Tell the coordinator about them when you pick a date, and the doctor will say whether to go ahead or postpone.

How common joint complaints are, and what the waiting lists show

The Encuesta Europea de Salud 2020 from Spain's national statistics institute puts osteoarthritis (artrosis) third among chronic problems diagnosed in people aged 15 and over, at 14.4 %. Only high blood pressure (19.0 %) and high cholesterol (15.3 %) rank higher. Low back pain is reported by 13.7 %. In the same survey, 16.0 % of adults are obese and 37.6 % overweight, so 53.6 % are above the weight considered normal. Body weight is one of the factors the treatment information names as shaping how long an effect lasts, along with the stage of the condition and activity level. A frank conversation about weight and load is therefore part of a sensible joint plan, not a side topic.

Murcia is a large place. The municipality had 471,982 inhabitants in 2024, the metropolitan area 672,773 in 2020, and it is the seventh most populous municipality in Spain. Its two universities, the Universidad de Murcia (with roots in 1272) and the Universidad Católica San Antonio, together enrol around 50,000 students. So the city is not only older residents. Young people with sport injuries, and anyone recovering after an injury or an operation, also meet the questions here, including meniscus trouble and ankle stiffness after old sprains.

Then there is the question of waiting. National figures from the health system for 31 December 2025 show average waits of 98 days for a hip replacement and 105 days for a knee replacement. Of those waiting, 13.7 % for a hip and 15.9 % for a knee had passed the 180-day maximum. For first specialist consultations, the average wait was 102 days, and Traumatología had the longest, at 132 days. In the Región de Murcia, 9,811 people were waiting for trauma surgery, with an average of 113 days.

These numbers describe public queues, not any individual's case. Still, they explain why many people want a second opinion on their scans while they wait. The online consultation and the review of your X-rays, MRI or reports are free. You hear whether the procedure could suit you and what else may be needed. If joint replacement really is the more realistic route, the doctor will say so.

Festival weeks, long days on your feet and a calendar for recovery

Murcia's year has a few crowded stretches. The Fiestas de Primavera fall in the week after Easter Sunday, with the Bando de la Huerta on the Tuesday and the Entierro de la Sardina on the Saturday. Both are of International Tourist Interest, as is Semana Santa itself. The Feria de Septiembre runs in the first half of September and is the busiest celebration in the city, while the pedanías hold their own fiestas mostly in June and September. Anyone who stands, walks or dances for hours on those days knows what a sore hip or knee costs them.

That is a useful way to plan. The service information gives a rough timeline:

- **About 1 week:** the joint may ache a little more, which is an expected reaction.

- **About 1 month:** the pain usually eases.

- **About 3 months:** mobility and activity improve.

- **About 6 months:** the full effect develops.

These are averaged figures for guidance, and individual recovery differs. If you want to be comfortable on your feet during a festival week, count backwards and leave the first week free of long standing. A procedure scheduled in the last days of August would put that first week of possible extra aching before the Feria de Septiembre rather than in the middle of it. The same logic applies to Semana Santa processions in spring.

The procedure itself is done in a single day, with no hospital stay and no crutches. Most people return to normal life within a day or two. The doctor gives load and exercise recommendations for the first weeks, and the team stays in touch to see how the joint responds. Whether your plan uses PRP alone or SVF combined with PRP, the doctor will explain it after the consultation. No one can promise a fixed outcome, and the plan depends on the joint and the individual.

From a phone screen to a plan: the online part, step by step

Everything starts online, and coordinators reply round the clock on WhatsApp and Telegram. For the first conversation you do not need a complete file. The coordinator will ask for what exists: an X-ray, an MRI, an ultrasound or written reports. A knee X-ray from a public hospital appointment is a good example, and a shoulder ultrasound taken after a sports injury is another. Photographing printed reports works too, as does sending the files from a CD or a patient portal.

At the consultation the doctor examines the joint through the conversation and reviews the scans. They are looking at the stage of the condition, because chances of a lasting effect are higher at earlier stages. Conditions covered include knee osteoarthritis (gonarthrosis), hip osteoarthritis (coxarthrosis), meniscus injury, avascular necrosis, inflammatory joint conditions and rehabilitation after injuries and surgery. The doctor also names the reasons the treatment would not fit: cancer, pregnancy, blood clotting disorders, acute infections including infection in or near the joint, and a flare-up of a serious chronic illness.

If the doctor recommends going ahead, the steps are simple to describe. A small blood sample is taken from a vein. When SVF is part of the plan, the doctor takes roughly 30 ml of adipose tissue under local anaesthetic through a small puncture in the abdomen or inner thigh, with no stitches needed. The sample is spun in a centrifuge and the prepared material is injected into the joint under ultrasound guidance.

Treatment costs depend on the joint, the stage and the method, so the doctor states them only after the consultation. The consultation and scan review are free and carry no obligation to book anything.

Does Murcia's hot summer make it a bad time to plan the injection?

The weather itself is not listed as a reason to postpone. What matters is your condition on the day. A fever, a cold or flu, or skin inflammation over the joint, such as irritation after strong sun, are temporary reasons to wait. With summer highs averaging above 34 °C in July and August, many people choose a calmer time of year for convenience, but the doctor decides based on your health, not the thermometer.

Does the mild, dry winter in Murcia change how joints feel?

The treatment information does not link joint wear to damp or cold, so no such claim is made here. January highs average 17.2 °C and lows 5.3 °C, with relative humidity around 57 % over the year. What you can do is note when the pain is worst, for example after rest, at night or on slopes, and tell the doctor. Those details help distinguish osteoarthritis from inflammatory arthritis.

I am on a waiting list in the Región de Murcia. Can I still send my scans?

Yes. The review of your X-rays, MRI, CT or reports is free, and you can send them while you wait for another appointment. National figures for 31 December 2025 show average waits of 98 days for hip replacement and 105 days for knee replacement. In Región de Murcia, trauma surgery waits averaged 113 days. You will hear whether the procedure could suit you and what else might be needed.

Could excess weight affect whether the treatment works for me?

It can influence how long an effect lasts. The treatment information names body weight, along with the stage of the condition and activity level, among the factors that differ from person to person. National survey data show that 53.6 % of adults in Spain are above normal weight, so the doctor will likely discuss load on the joint openly. It does not rule you out automatically.

I cycle with MuyBici every day. When can I get back on the bike?

The service information says most people return to normal life within a day or two and need no crutches or long rehabilitation. For the first weeks the doctor gives load and exercise recommendations, and that is where cycling is tackled. Remember that the joint may ache a little more in the first week, which is expected, so ask the doctor specifically about the bike.

Can I plan the procedure around the Feria de Septiembre or Semana Santa?

Yes, count backwards. The joint may ache more during the first week, pain usually eases around 1 month, and mobility improves around 3 months. If you want to be on your feet comfortably during festival days, tell the coordinator the dates when choosing a time. These timings are averages for guidance, and the doctor confirms what applies to you.

I am a student with an old ankle sprain. Is this only for older people?

No. The listed uses include pain and stiffness after sprains and old injuries, and recovery after injuries and surgery. Murcia has around 50,000 university students, and sport injuries are not limited to older age groups. The doctor decides from your scans and examination whether the procedure suits you, and a second opinion on your scans is free.

Is osteoarthritis really that common in Spain?

According to the 2020 European Health Survey by Spain's national statistics institute, osteoarthritis is the third most commonly diagnosed chronic problem in people aged 15 and over, at 14.4 %. Only high blood pressure and high cholesterol are more frequent. Having it is common, but the right approach still depends on the stage, which the doctor judges from your scans.