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SVF and PRP Joint Therapy in Szczecin

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 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

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: a fever, a cold or flu, inflamed 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

Whether the procedure is for you is decided after the doctor examines the joint and reviews your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound. Any scans you already have can be sent before your visit.

Blood sample for PRP2

Blood sample for PRP

A small volume of blood is drawn from a vein, which is later turned into platelet-rich plasma with growth factors.

Adipose tissue sample3

Adipose tissue sample

Through a puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh, about 30 ml of adipose tissue is taken under local anaesthetic, and no stitches are required.

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 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

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 small sample of adipose tissue is taken and processed to obtain the stromal vascular fraction (SVF), a mix of cells that take part in tissue repair. Mixed with your own plasma, it is then injected into the affected joint.

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

More marked changes in the joint and the wish for a longer-lasting effect are the usual reasons to choose it.

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

A small amount of your blood is processed to separate plasma rich in platelets and growth factors, which is then injected into the joint. It helps settle inflammation and gives the tissues 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

Large and small joints — after looking at your scans, the doctor selects the joint, the method and how many injections you need

  • KneeKneeCartilage wear, meniscus problems, pain on stairs and after walking
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderPain when raising the arm, wear of the joint and surrounding tendons
  • ElbowElbowJoint surface wear and pain after overload or sports strain
  • 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

Treatment without surgery, aimed at keeping your own joint instead of replacing it

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

Punctures, not incisions; local anaesthetic; no prolonged 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

Not just the injection day: we keep in touch after the procedure and monitor 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

About non-surgical joint treatment for patients from Szczecin

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 Szczecin.

Most patients from Szczecin go home the same day and return to normal daily activity within a day or two. During the first week the joint may ache a little more — this is an expected reaction. Pain usually eases over the first month.

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

Flat ground, damp air and what they ask of the knees

Szczecin is not a city of steep climbs. The elevation ranges from -0.1 m to 131 m above sea level, with an average of about 25 m. A knee or hip that hurts here is therefore rarely blamed on a daily mountain walk. More often the trouble comes from many small loads: stairs in older apartment blocks, long walks along the river, standing at work, and the extra weight a joint carries every day.

The city lies on both banks of the Oder and on several large islands, and the Regalica branch also runs through it. Lake Dabie lies entirely within the city limits. Getting around often means crossing bridges and embankments and walking from tram stops, so the knee, hip and ankle get regular use. Stiffness after sitting still and pain on the stairs are the complaints that usually bring people to write to a coordinator.

Joint pain is not a diagnosis, and it helps to separate two patterns. In osteoarthritis the cartilage wears gradually: aching on movement, crunching, stiffness after rest. In arthritis the joint is inflamed: pain at rest and at night, morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes, swelling, and redness and warmth over the joint. The approach differs, so the diagnosis comes first. At the online consultation the doctor asks how the pain behaves through the day and then looks at your X-ray, MRI or ultrasound.

The treatment we describe here uses PRP, platelet-rich plasma from your own blood. It can be combined with SVF, the stromal vascular fraction isolated from a small sample of your own adipose tissue. The material is injected into the joint under ultrasound guidance. It does not replace a diagnosis, and it does not suit everyone. Cancer, pregnancy, blood clotting disorders, acute infection (including infection in or near the joint) and a flare-up of a serious chronic illness all rule it out. Skin inflammation over the joint, a fever, a cold or flu mean the procedure has to wait.

The Baltic climate and the months when joints complain

The 1991-2020 normals for Szczecin show an oceanic climate. January has a mean maximum of 3.0 °C and a mean minimum of -1.8 °C. February runs from -1.3 °C to 4.5 °C, and December from -0.5 °C to 4.0 °C. Winters are not extremely cold, but temperatures hover close to freezing, and the air is very damp. Relative humidity averages 79.9% over the year and peaks in November (89.1%) and December (89.0%).

Many patients say their joints feel worse in cold, wet weather. We cannot tie that feeling to a specific measurement, and the doctor will not promise that treatment changes how you react to the weather. The climate data still help with planning. Winter is dark, with only 32.2 hours of sunshine in December and 42.7 in January. Snow is on average present on 23.7 days a year, most often in January (7.6 days) and February (6.9 days), with an average extreme depth of 3.6 cm in January and 4.0 cm in February. Thin snow and ice on pavements make slips and twisted ankles more likely. Sprains and old injuries are among the things people ask us about, because an ankle that stays stiff after a sprain can drag on for months.

Summer is mild. July has a mean maximum of 24.3 °C and a minimum of 13.8 °C, and sunshine reaches 246.3 hours in July. Annual precipitation is 567.1 mm over 166.6 days, with July the wettest month at 76.2 mm. Another source in the facts gives about 537 mm, so the exact figure depends on the source. Neither number changes the practical point: damp, changeable weather is normal here for most of the year.

Planning around the season is simple. The injections are given in one day and there are no crutches afterwards. After the procedure the doctor gives load and exercise recommendations for the first weeks. Walking on icy pavements in the first days is a reasonable thing to discuss at the consultation, because the doctor can tell you what level of activity is sensible in your case.

Sailing, running and cycling: sport and joint load

Szczecin has a strong water-sport tradition, with sailing, diving and water polo clubs. The Szczecin Lagoon north of the city covers 687 km², and the city is surrounded by forest and heath, including Szczecin Landscape Park. These are places where people sail, run, cycle and walk, and each activity loads joints differently.

A marathon is organised in the city in August, and a men's tennis tournament is held every September. Events like these draw recreational athletes into training seasons, and training seasons produce overuse. An aching elbow after strain, shoulder pain on raising the arm, or a knee that complains after longer distances is the kind of problem we hear about. The treatment overview lists elbow and shoulder among the joints that can be treated, and says the doctor settles the joint, the method and the injection count after checking the scans.

Recovery after injuries and surgery is also a stated purpose of the treatment, alongside early or moderate arthrosis or arthritis. Meniscus pathology and injury are in the list of conditions. For meniscus damage and knee osteoarthritis, PRP and SVF injections are used to ease pain and support the joint. Often a meniscus problem can be handled without an operation, and the doctor reviews your MRI first to say whether that applies to you.

A sensible route for an active person is to send the scans you already have, whether X-ray, MRI or ultrasound, before the online consultation. The doctor reviews them without charge and can say whether the plan could suit you or whether something else is needed first. You can also ask for a second opinion on scans from a previous appointment. No one has to commit to treatment to get that review.

Body weight, a young student city and an ageing joint

Szczecin is the capital of West Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-west Poland near the Baltic Sea. Its population was 383,786 at the end of 2025 (density 1,277/km²), and the city is the seventh largest in Poland by population. Counts differ by date and method: another source gives 395,513 for the city county at the end of 2021 and 391,566 for 2022, and puts the metropolitan area at 777,000. We use these numbers only to show the scale of the city.

It is also a student city. The University of Szczecin alone has 35,000 students, and the city hosts several other higher-education institutions. Younger people usually seek help after an injury, while middle-aged and older patients more often have wear. We do not have local data on how old Szczecin's residents are, and we will not guess.

Body weight matters for joints, and the national figures are worth knowing. In Poland in 2019, 58.2% of people over 18 had overweight or obesity (the EU average was about 53%), and obesity measured by BMI was 18%. A Supreme Audit Office report on 2022 data gives 28.9% for Zachodniopomorskie. It says the chart measures a share of patients with overweight and obesity, so it is not the same as prevalence. Whichever figure you use, extra weight means extra load on the knee and hip. The service overview lists body weight among the factors that affect how long the effect lasts.

This is a practical point, not a judgement. If you have a joint problem and extra weight, the doctor will discuss both, because a plan that ignores weight is less likely to hold up. The treatment overview says plainly that duration 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.

National health insurance and waiting lists for joint care

Most residents of Szczecin receive publicly funded care through NFZ, the national health fund. The fund's patient information says that services not listed in its catalogues are not financed by it. Within the listed range, treatment is in most cases provided without a charge to the insured patient. Poland's insurance contribution is 9% of personal income. Of that, 7.75% is deducted from tax and 1.25% is paid directly to NFZ. Uninsured patients pay the full cost of services.

The rules for queues matter if you are waiting for orthopaedic care. For a given service a patient may be entered on a waiting list with only one provider, and the original referral must be delivered within 14 working days of entering the list. This is general information from NFZ, not advice about your case, and your family doctor or the provider can explain the details.

A Ministry of Health reply of 5 August 2025 to a parliamentary question on orthopaedics gives waiting times for joint replacement. The average wait for hip replacement fell from 195 days in 2022 to 172 days in 2024, and for knee replacement from 242 to 214 days. The source focuses on the Warmian-Masurian voivodeship and does not state clearly whether the figures are national, so treat them as a rough guide to the situation in Poland, not as local data for Szczecin.

Our service is not part of that public system. It is a separate online consultation, with a coordinator available on WhatsApp and Telegram round the clock, and the prices for individual procedures are given at the consultation. It does not replace a referral or a place on a waiting list. Some patients use the time before an operation to get a second opinion, and some want to find out whether replacement can be postponed. Replacement is major surgery with long rehabilitation and risks such as infection, and implants may eventually need to be redone. With early or moderate changes, it often makes sense to try to preserve your own joint first. When a joint is already badly damaged, replacement may be the more realistic route, and the doctor will say so after seeing your scans.

Using the online consultation from Szczecin

The consultation is online, so you stay at home. A coordinator replies on WhatsApp or Telegram, and you send the X-ray, MRI, CT or reports. Your doctor then reviews them and tells you whether the procedure could suit you, what else may be needed, and what a treatment plan would look like.

If the plan goes ahead, the steps are those in the overview. 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, without stitches. The samples are spun in a centrifuge, the fraction is mixed with the plasma, and the material goes into the joint under ultrasound. The whole procedure is done in one day. There is no hospital stay, and you normally return to ordinary life within a day or two.

The expected course is also in the overview. In the first week the joint may ache a little more, which is an expected reaction. After about a month the pain usually eases, around three months mobility and activity improve, and by about six months the full effect develops. These timings are averaged and given for guidance, and the doctor confirms them for your joint.

Public holidays in Poland, such as Easter Monday, 1 May, 3 May, 15 August and 11 November, can interrupt your usual routine. The coordinator is available on those days too, so you can send scans or ask questions at any time. Before you book, write down which joint hurts, how long, what eases it, and what you have already tried.

Is the damp winter in Szczecin a reason to wait for summer before the injections?

Not by itself. The climate data show a mild but wet winter, with January averaging between -1.8 °C and 3.0 °C and humidity of about 89% in November and December. Whether to wait depends on the state of your joint, your skin and your health on the day, and the doctor decides this at the consultation. Skin inflammation over the joint, a fever, a cold or flu are temporary reasons to postpone, in any season.

Can I send scans I already have from the public health system?

Yes. X-rays, MRI, CT, ultrasound and medical reports can be sent to the coordinator on WhatsApp or Telegram. The doctor reviews them without charge and says whether the procedure could suit you. You do not have to commit to treatment, and you can use the opinion in discussions with your own doctor.

I am waiting for a hip or knee replacement through NFZ. Does a consultation affect my place on the list?

A consultation with us is separate from the public system, and NFZ's rule is that a patient can be on a waiting list for a given service with only one provider. Ask your provider or your family doctor about your own entry. The Ministry of Health reply from August 2025 gives average waits of 172 days for hip and 214 days for knee replacement in 2024, but the source does not clearly say whether these are national. Many people use the waiting time to ask whether their joint is at a stage where non-surgical treatment makes sense.

Do icy pavements or snow matter after the procedure?

They can, because your activity matters in the first weeks. Snow lies on average on 23.7 days a year in Szczecin, mostly in January and February. After the procedure you do not need crutches, and the doctor gives load and exercise recommendations. Ask at the consultation how much walking is sensible in your case and what to do if the pavement is slippery.

I run or sail in Szczecin. Can I keep training?

The doctor decides this after seeing your scans and examining the joint. High load on the joints from sport or physical work is one of the reasons people seek this treatment. After the procedure you receive recommendations for the first weeks, and the doctor follows how your joint responds. Do not plan a race or a long sailing season until you have discussed the timing.

Does extra body weight rule out the treatment?

No, but it affects the plan. Body weight is one of the factors that influence how long the effect lasts, along with the stage of the condition and activity. About 58.2% of adults in Poland had overweight or obesity in 2019, so the doctor sees this often. Say openly what you weigh and what your joint does, so the doctor can give an honest assessment.

What if my diagnosis is unclear, and I do not know whether I have arthritis or osteoarthritis?

Send what you have. Osteoarthritis is gradual wear of cartilage, and arthritis is inflammation with pain at rest and at night, swelling and warmth. The approach to treatment differs, so the doctor establishes the diagnosis before any plan. If the scans are not enough, the doctor says what else is needed.

Is the coordinator available on public holidays?

Yes. Coordinators answer round the clock, 24/7, on WhatsApp and Telegram, including on Polish public holidays such as Easter Monday or 11 November. You can send scans at any time, and the reply is usually quick.