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Non-Surgical Joint Treatment in The Hague

We treat the knee, hip, shoulder and other joints with SVF and PRP. Before anything is decided, your scans are reviewed at no cost

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?

The treatment is regenerative and uses only what your body supplies: PRP (platelet-rich plasma from the blood) and SVF (the stromal vascular fraction from a small piece of adipose tissue). Injected into the joint that hurts, it aims to calm inflammation, ease pain and support the tissue within.

  • 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

Examination and scan review come first; then the doctor decides whether the treatment suits you

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: having a fever, a cold or flu, or 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

The doctor assesses the joint in person and reviews X-rays, MRI or ultrasound, then decides if you are a candidate for the procedure. Scans you have can be sent before the 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

Under local anaesthetic, a small amount of adipose tissue — roughly 30 ml — is removed through a puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh, with no stitches needed.

Processing in a centrifuge4

Processing in a centrifuge

The centrifuge separates the sample into layers, the stromal vascular fraction is isolated, and it is then mixed with platelet-rich plasma.

Injection into the joint5

Injection into the joint

Directly into the affected joint: the prepared material is injected under ultrasound guidance for precise placement.

Follow-up6

Follow-up

Afterwards there are no crutches and no hospital stay, and the doctor keeps in touch to follow how the joint is responding.

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

No donor or synthetic material: only your own blood and adipose tissue are used

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

Doctors tend to choose it when the joint shows more pronounced changes and a more durable effect is wanted.

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

We treat large and small joints — which joint, which method and how many injections is decided by the doctor after a scan review

  • KneeKneePain on stairs and after walking, meniscus problems, cartilage wear
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderPain as the arm goes up, wear of the joint and adjacent tendons
  • ElbowElbowPain caused by overuse or sports strain; worn joint surfaces
  • 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

No surgery: our work is about keeping your own joint, not swapping it for an implant

Your own tissue

Your own tissue

No donor or synthetic material: only your own blood and adipose tissue are used

No crutches

No crutches

Small punctures in place of incisions, local anaesthetic, no long recovery programme

Second opinion

Second opinion

Send X-rays, MRI or medical reports for an independent assessment by a doctor at no cost

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

Cost varies with the joint, the stage of the condition and the method; 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

Joint treatment in The Hague: what you should know

If you have been told that joint replacement is the only choice, a second opinion is worth getting. In The Hague, you can send your scans and reports for a free independent assessment before making any decision about surgery.

Before the procedure, the doctor tells you which tests are needed. If you already have X-rays, MRI or ultrasound results, patients from The Hague can send them in advance and receive a preliminary answer on whether the treatment could suit them.

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

Sending scans from home: a second opinion before any decision about replacement

Many people in The Hague who have been told that a joint replacement is their only choice want a second view before they commit. That is what the first online consultation is for. You send your existing X-rays, MRI, CT or medical reports in WhatsApp or Telegram, and a doctor reviews them free of charge and tells you whether regenerative treatment from your own blood and adipose tissue could suit you, and what else might be needed. Nothing has to be booked, and no one asks you to sign up for an operation.

Gather what you already have. Imaging discs and reports from a hospital or radiology centre can often be downloaded or photographed; ask for the written report as well as the pictures. Include dates, because the stage of a joint is judged against time. Add a short note: which joint hurts, since when, what makes it worse, what helps, what painkillers or injections you have used, and whether you have had an injury or an earlier operation on it.

If you do not have recent scans, say so. The doctor may advise which examination is useful, and an X-ray is often the first step; MRI shows cartilage and soft tissues in more detail, and ultrasound shows fluid and inflammation. Do not pay for a new scan before you have asked the coordinator what is actually needed.

The doctor decides whether the treatment suits you only after an examination and a review of your scans. The chance of a lasting effect is higher at earlier stages, and the doctor tells you honestly when the joint is too damaged and replacement is the more realistic option.

What is injected, and how a day of treatment goes

Two materials are used, both from your own body. PRP, platelet-rich plasma, is prepared from a small blood sample and carries growth factors; it helps calm inflammation and supports tissue repair. SVF, the stromal vascular fraction, is isolated from a small sample of adipose tissue and contains cells involved in repair. Treatment may use PRP alone, as a course of injections, or SVF combined with PRP. Nothing donor or synthetic is used.

The procedure takes one day. Blood is drawn from a vein. Under local anaesthetic, about 30 ml of adipose tissue is taken through a small puncture in the abdomen or inner thigh, without stitches. The sample is spun in a centrifuge, the SVF is isolated and mixed with plasma, and the doctor injects the material into the joint under ultrasound guidance, so it lands where it is needed. There is no hospital stay and no crutches.

The joint may ache a little more afterwards, which is an expected reaction. Risks are low because your own tissue is used, though temporary pain, swelling or bruising can occur and infection is rare. The doctor explains the risks for your case. How long the effect lasts differs from person to person and depends on the stage of the condition, body weight and activity; no one can promise a fixed result. PRP often lasts several months to about a year, and SVF may last longer.

The treatment is not carried out in people with cancer, acute infections, blood clotting disorders, during pregnancy or during a flare-up of a serious chronic illness. A fever, a cold or flu, or skin inflammation over the joint also mean waiting. Tell the coordinator about any of these on the day, not after.

Which joint? Knees, hips, shoulders, ankles and the hand

Large and small joints can be treated, and the doctor settles the joint, the method and the number of injections after checking your scans. The commonest requests are for the knee, with pain on stairs or after walking, cartilage wear and meniscus trouble; the hip, with early osteoarthritis, groin pain and limited rotation; the shoulder, with pain on raising the arm; the ankle, after sport strain or overuse; and the small joints of the fingers and wrist, with pain and stiffness.

Questions people ask about the knee often concern the meniscus. Often a tear can be treated without an operation: PRP and SVF injections are used to ease pain and support the joint, after the doctor has looked at your MRI. For the hip, injections combined with exercise therapy and physiotherapy can, at early stages, reduce pain and improve movement; for a badly damaged hip, replacement may be the realistic option, and you are told so plainly.

Avascular necrosis of the hip is a particular case. At early stages, SVF therapy may be considered to support the blood supply to the femoral head and to delay the need for replacement. At later stages surgery is usually required. If you have been given this diagnosis, send the MRI first; the stage decides almost everything.

Recovery after injuries and operations can also be a reason. Old sprains can leave stiffness and pain, and a joint after surgery sometimes needs support. Describe your history in your first message.

Stairs, standing and sand: daily life with a painful joint

The Hague is a city of 549,163 inhabitants on the North Sea coast. Whatever your routine, joint pain shows itself in ordinary actions such as walking, stairs and standing, so describe them to the coordinator: how many stairs you climb daily, how far you walk before the knee or hip protests, whether you can cycle, whether you stand all day at work. The doctor uses these details to judge the load on the joint.

After the injection day there are no crutches, but the doctor will tell you what to avoid for a short time and when to return to sport. Plan the first days so you are not carrying heavy shopping or standing for hours. A flat with a lift is easier than a house with steep stairs, and if you live in the latter, arrange help for the days around the procedure.

The seafront at Scheveningen has a long sandy beach, an esplanade and a pier. Walking on soft sand loads the joints differently from walking on pavement, and the doctor will advise on how soon you may return to it. Ask also about sports and swimming in the sea. Do not return on your own timetable because the weather turned fine.

The climate table shows 21.6 °C as the daily maximum in July and 6.4 °C in January. We do not claim that weather causes joint pain or cures it; the useful point is that the season sets what you can do outdoors. Keep a record of how the joint feels in different conditions, and share it at the check-up.

Insurance, planning and what to expect from the coordinator

Standard health insurance in the Netherlands is set by the government and includes hospital treatment. Whether your insurer reimburses regenerative injections is a question for the insurer, and we do not promise it. Joint replacement, where indicated, is a separate matter and follows its own route through your general practitioner and a specialist. If you are weighing both, ask your insurer about each in writing.

The doctor names the cost after the consultation, since the joint, the stage of the condition and the method all affect it. A consultation and review of scans is free. A treatment plan is proposed, and you decide in your own time. Coordinators reply on WhatsApp and Telegram 24/7, so you can send scans on a Sunday evening.

After the procedure the clinic stays in touch and follows how the joint responds, not only on the injection day. Prepare to send short updates: a pain score on the same scale every week, how many stairs or minutes you walk, and any swelling. That makes it easier to see the trend rather than a single day.

Can a doctor look at my X-ray or MRI without my leaving The Hague?

Yes. Send the images or reports in WhatsApp or Telegram, and a doctor reviews them free of charge and tells you whether the treatment could suit you.

What is the difference between PRP and SVF?

PRP is plasma rich in platelets from your blood; SVF is a cell fraction from a small sample of your adipose tissue. They can be used separately or together.

Is the procedure done in hospital with a stay?

It is done in one day, with no hospital stay and no crutches. Local anaesthetic is used for the small tissue sample.

Can a torn meniscus be treated without an operation?

Often yes. PRP and SVF injections are used to ease pain and support the joint, after the doctor reviews your MRI.

Does Dutch basic insurance reimburse these injections?

The government decides the content of the standard package. We cannot confirm cover for injections, so ask your insurer in writing.

How long does the effect last?

It differs from person to person. PRP often lasts several months to about a year, and SVF may last longer; no one can promise a fixed result.

Who should not have the treatment?

People with cancer, acute infections, blood clotting disorders, pregnancy or a flare-up of a serious chronic illness. The doctor checks this at the consultation.

Which details should I give about my daily activity?

Stairs, walking distance, cycling, standing at work and sport. They help the doctor judge the load on the joint.