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Osteoarthritis in Bochum: Treatment by Stage

We treat arthrosis in the knee, hip and other joints with SVF cell therapy and PRP, and review your X-rays or MRI for free to judge the stage

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 osteoarthritis
(arthrosis)?

Osteoarthritis (arthrosis) is a long-term condition where the cartilage covering a joint slowly thins and wears down. Because cartilage cushions the joint, its loss lets the bones grind against one another, bringing pain, stiffness and reduced movement. The disease is degenerative, not inflammatory, though swollen flare-ups can occur.

  • 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

A doctor examines you, reviews your scans and then decides whether the treatment is suitable

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, inflamed skin over the joint that is 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 examines your joint, looks through your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound and decides whether the procedure is right for you. If you already have scans, you can send them ahead of the visit.

Blood sample for PRP2

Blood sample for PRP

A small blood sample is taken from a vein, and platelet-rich plasma with growth factors is later made from it.

Adipose tissue sample3

Adipose tissue sample

Under local anaesthetic, the doctor collects a small portion of adipose tissue (roughly 30 ml) via a puncture on the abdomen or the inner thigh. Stitches are not needed.

Processing in a centrifuge4

Processing in a centrifuge

Spinning in a centrifuge splits the sample into layers, after which the stromal vascular fraction is isolated and mixed with the platelet-rich plasma.

Injection into the joint5

Injection into the joint

The material is injected directly into the affected joint, guided by ultrasound for precise placement.

Follow-up6

Follow-up

No crutches are needed and there is no hospital stay. The doctor keeps 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

Your own blood and adipose tissue only; donor and synthetic material are not used

Cell therapy (SVF) from your own adipose tissue

Processing a small portion of your adipose tissue yields the stromal vascular fraction (SVF), a cell mix involved in tissue repair. The doctor combines it with your own plasma and injects it into the affected joint.

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

It is used mainly at early and moderate stages of osteoarthritis to slow cartilage wear and reduce friction between the joint surfaces.

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 blood sample provides plasma rich in platelets and growth factors; this is injected into the joint to help ease inflammation and create better conditions for the tissue to repair.

A doctor explains PRP therapy for joints to a patient on a monitor

It is often applied in mild osteoarthritis, and alongside SVF when a stronger effect is called for.

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; the doctor picks the joint, method and injection count once your scans are reviewed

  • KneeKneePain on stairs and after walks, cartilage wear, meniscus issues
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderPain on raising the arm; wear of the joint and the tendons around it
  • ElbowElbowPain after overuse or sports strain, wear of the joint surfaces
  • Hand and wrist jointsHand and wrist jointsPain with stiffness in the small joints of fingers and wrist
  • AnkleAnklePain and stiffness after sprains and old injuries

Advantages

Why patients choose City Medical Centre

Treatment without surgery that works to keep your own joint rather than swap it for an implant

Your own tissue

Your own tissue

Your own blood and adipose tissue only; donor and synthetic material are not used

No crutches

No crutches

Only punctures, no incisions — under local anaesthetic and without a long rehabilitation

Second opinion

Second opinion

Send your X-rays, MRI or reports and a doctor will give an independent assessment free of charge

Support after the procedure

Support after the procedure

After the procedure, we keep in touch and watch the result — our work does not end on the injection day

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

Osteoarthritis treatment prices

The stage of osteoarthritis, the joint and the method all affect the cost, so it is named after the consultation

FAQ

Joint treatment: frequently asked questions

About the conditions

More about these conditions

Other services of our clinic

How osteoarthritis is treated without surgery for Bochum residents

Knee and hip osteoarthritis are the most common reasons patients from Bochum consider joint replacement. SVF and PRP therapy is a way to try to delay or avoid surgery while the joint can still be preserved.

Treatment starts with a consultation and a review of your X-rays or MRI to assess the stage. Then blood and a small adipose tissue sample are taken, processed in a centrifuge and injected into the joint under ultrasound guidance. For patients from Bochum, it is done in one day.

A consultation is the first step for every patient from Bochum. It is free, and after it you know the stage, the method and the cost of treatment.

Five million joints and a city of 358,880: osteoarthritis in context

Bochum is home to 358,880 people (31 December 2025) on an area of 145.66 km2, and it sits inside the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area, where 5,166,484 people live. Within Germany as a whole, about five million people have osteoarthritis (Arthrose). Joint wear is therefore not a rare complaint but an everyday reason for a medical conversation, and a resident of Bochum who notices stiff knees or a sore hip is far from alone.

Osteoarthritis means slow, chronic wear of the cartilage that lines the joint. Healthy cartilage softens impact. When it thins, the bone ends rub on each other, and the joint hurts, stiffens and moves less. It is a degenerative disease rather than an inflammatory one, although flare-ups with swelling do occur. The knees (gonarthrosis) and hips (coxarthrosis) are affected most often because they carry the greatest load. The ankle and the small joints of the hand follow.

Germany performed about 400,000 hip and knee joint replacement operations (Endoprothetik) in 2016. That number shows how many people eventually reach the stage where the joint is badly worn. Our approach is aimed at an earlier moment: non-surgical treatment with SVF and PRP, made from your own adipose tissue and blood, is considered mainly for early and moderate osteoarthritis. If a doctor sees on your scans that the joint is already too damaged, he or she will say frankly that a replacement is the more realistic option.

Everything starts online. You send your X-ray, MRI or ultrasound to the coordinator on WhatsApp or Telegram, a doctor reviews the images free of charge, and you learn which stage you are at and whether treatment without surgery makes sense in your case.

Wet, mild winters and stiff joints

Bochum's winters are not harsh, but they are grey and damp. The mean daily maximum in January is 5.6 °C and the mean minimum is 1.2 °C (DWD data 2015–2020). Relative humidity averages 77.7% over the year, and the city records 195 rainy days and 866 mm of precipitation annually. December is the wettest month with 93 mm, followed by January and August with 88 mm.

Light is scarce as well. Sunshine averages only 1.3 hours a day in December and 1.5 hours in January, against 7.0 hours a day in July. Many people with joint wear describe the cold months as the time when stiffness after rest becomes more noticeable and the first steps in the morning feel heavier. Weather does not cause osteoarthritis, and we do not claim that it does. But short, dark days tend to reduce activity, and reduced activity is a poor fit for a joint that needs regular, gentle movement.

This matters for how you read your symptoms. In osteoarthritis the typical picture is aching pain on movement, crunching and stiffness after rest. In arthritis, an inflammatory disease, there is pain at rest and at night, morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes, swelling, redness and warmth over the joint. If your winter complaints look more like the second description, the first step is a proper diagnosis, because the treatment approach differs.

July is the warmest month, with a mean daily maximum of 24.7 °C, and the summer months are the most comfortable time for walking, cycling and swimming. Many patients plan the procedure for a calmer period, but there is no fixed season: the doctor decides on timing together with you after the consultation.

Hills, work and body weight: what loads a joint in the Ruhr area

Bochum lies on the flat-hilly Bochumer Landrücken (Ruhrhöhen). The city's elevation is about 100 m above sea level, with the lowest point at 43 m in Blumenkamp and the highest at 196 m in Stiepel. These are modest differences, but a city built on gentle slopes still means regular climbs and descents on foot. For a knee with cartilage wear and meniscus trouble, pain on stairs or after walking is one of the first signals.

The Ruhr lies to the south of the city and the Emscher to the north, and the Kemnader See is a dammed section of the Ruhr. Water and green areas invite walking and cycling, which suit osteoarthritis well. Our advice is the same as the general advice for the condition: swimming, water aerobics, cycling, Nordic walking or yoga are good choices, while running on hard surfaces, jumping, heavy lifting and sudden movements strain the joint.

Load comes from work as well as sport. People in physical jobs and those who play sport regularly put the knee, hip, shoulder or elbow under repeated stress, and that is one of the situations where the treatment is considered. A different group are the students and office workers: the Ruhr-Universität Bochum has 37,653 students (winter semester 2025/26), and the city has nine universities or branches of universities. Long hours of sitting are not a cause of osteoarthritis, but they do not train the muscles that unload the joint, and old injuries after sport can start to ache years later. For the ankle, pain and stiffness after sprains and old injuries are a common reason to ask for a scan review.

Body weight is the other big factor. In Germany, measured data (DEGS 2008/11) show adult obesity (BMI 30+) in 23.3% of men and 23.9% of women, while self-reported survey figures are lower. Excess weight adds load to the knees and hips, and the effect of any treatment depends partly on body weight, activity and the stage of the condition. Controlling weight is therefore part of the plan, not an optional extra.

How the online consultation and the SVF + PRP procedure work

The first step is free: the coordinator asks for your X-ray, MRI or ultrasound, and a doctor assesses the stage of osteoarthritis independently, with no obligation. Blood tests can help rule out inflammatory diseases. Doctors usually describe four stages, from early thinning of the cartilage to severe wear; injection treatment is most often considered in the early and middle stages. You can also use the review simply as a second opinion on scans you already have.

The procedure itself is done in one day. A small amount of blood is taken from a vein to prepare platelet-rich plasma. Under local anaesthetic, the doctor collects roughly 30 ml of adipose tissue through a puncture on the abdomen or the inner thigh, and no stitches are needed. The sample is spun in a centrifuge, the stromal vascular fraction is isolated and blended with the plasma, and the material is injected into the affected joint under ultrasound guidance. Only your own blood and adipose tissue are used, nothing donor or synthetic.

PRP alone is often used for milder osteoarthritis, while SVF together with PRP is chosen when a stronger effect is needed. The doctor determines the joint, the method and the number of injections after looking at your scans. There are no crutches and no hospital stay, and the doctor stays in touch afterwards to follow how the joint responds.

For comparison, the stay after an uncomplicated hip replacement lasts about six to eight days in most clinics, with follow-up rehabilitation (Anschlussheilbehandlung) arranged during the stay. An injection-based procedure works differently, with punctures instead of incisions and no prolonged rehabilitation. It is not a substitute for a replacement when the joint is already destroyed, and the doctor will tell you honestly which situation you are in.

What to expect after the injection, and how insurance fits in

The timeline is averaged and given for guidance. In the first week the joint may ache a little more, which is an expected reaction. After about a month the pain usually eases, mobility and activity improve at around three months, and the full effect develops at around six months. Some patients notice early changes after 2–3 weeks. How long the effect lasts differs from person to person and depends on the stage, body weight, activity and other factors, so no one can promise a fixed result. Because osteoarthritis is chronic, it calls for an ongoing plan of exercise and weight control, not a one-off injection.

The treatment is not suitable in some situations: cancer, pregnancy, blood clotting disorders, acute infections including infection in or near the joint, and a flare-up of a serious chronic illness. Temporary reasons to wait include a raised temperature, a cold or flu, and inflamed skin above the target joint. The doctor goes through these points with you during the consultation.

On coverage, some context helps. About 92% of the German population is covered by statutory health insurance, and about 88% of the working population is insured through statutory funds and about 11% privately (2024). Whether a given insurer would take part in paying for an injection treatment is something we cannot state in advance, because it depends on the individual contract. The sensible step is to ask your insurer directly, and the coordinator can give you a written summary of the diagnosis and plan to take along.

A further point concerns waiting. A 2010 Commonwealth Fund survey found that 70% of Germans reported waiting less than one month for elective surgery. With an online consultation, scan review takes place without queues, and the coordinator replies round the clock on WhatsApp and Telegram, so you can ask questions at any time.

Can I send scans I already have from a hospital or radiology centre in Bochum?

Yes. X-ray, MRI or ultrasound images and written reports can be sent to the coordinator on WhatsApp or Telegram. A doctor reviews them free of charge, assesses the stage of osteoarthritis and says whether non-surgical treatment is realistic.

Do damp winters in Bochum make osteoarthritis worse?

Weather does not cause osteoarthritis. January brings a mean daily maximum of 5.6 °C, high humidity and only about 1.5 hours of sun a day, and many people notice more stiffness after rest and less activity in these months. Gentle regular exercise such as swimming, cycling or Nordic walking helps. If you have pain at rest or at night, swelling and warmth, it may be arthritis and needs diagnosis first.

Does statutory health insurance in Germany pay for SVF or PRP injections?

We cannot promise this. About 92% of the population is in the statutory system, but coverage of an individual treatment depends on the insurer and your contract. Ask your insurer directly before you decide; the coordinator can provide a summary of the diagnosis and the proposed plan.

Is it better to wait until a joint replacement becomes necessary?

Not necessarily. About 400,000 hip and knee replacements were performed in Germany in 2016, but injection treatment works best at the early or moderate stage, before the joint surfaces are badly worn. If the joint is already badly damaged, the doctor will say that replacement may be more realistic.

Does body weight affect the result for someone living in Bochum?

Yes. Body weight, activity and the stage of the condition all influence how long the effect lasts. Excess weight adds load to the knees and hips, so controlling weight is part of a sensible plan alongside the injections.

I stand or lift at work. Should I change anything before the procedure?

The doctor gives personal advice during the consultation. In general, heavy lifting, jumping and sudden movements strain an arthritic joint, and a high load from sport or physical work is one of the situations where the treatment is considered. Send your scans first so the doctor can see the stage.

How long does the procedure take, and will I need a hospital stay?

The whole procedure is done in one day. Blood is taken, about 30 ml of adipose tissue is collected under local anaesthetic, the sample is processed in a centrifuge, and the material is injected under ultrasound. There are no crutches and no hospital stay, in contrast to the six to eight days usually spent in hospital after an uncomplicated hip replacement.