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Hip Osteoarthritis Treatment in Bologna

Treatment of arthritic knees, hips and other joints using SVF and PRP. A doctor reviews your MRI or X-rays free to establish 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

Your scans are reviewed and you are examined — then a 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: inflammation of the skin over the joint to be treated, 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

After examining the joint and reviewing your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound, the doctor decides whether the procedure suits you. Scans you already have can be sent before the visit.

Blood sample for PRP2

Blood sample for PRP

Blood in a small amount is drawn from a vein, and later platelet-rich plasma rich in growth factors is prepared from it.

Adipose tissue sample3

Adipose tissue sample

Local anaesthetic is used while a small portion of adipose tissue, about 30 ml, is taken through a puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh. The site needs no stitches.

Processing in a centrifuge4

Processing in a centrifuge

The sample goes into a centrifuge and divides into layers; the stromal vascular fraction is taken out 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, with ultrasound guidance helping place it precisely.

Follow-up6

Follow-up

No hospital stay and no crutches are needed. After the procedure, the doctor remains in touch and tracks 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

The treatment relies solely on your own blood and adipose tissue — no donor or synthetic material

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

Mainly at early and moderate stages of osteoarthritis — to reduce friction between the joint surfaces and slow down cartilage wear.

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

Used often in mild osteoarthritis, it is added to SVF when a more pronounced effect is required.

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

Small and large joints are treated; the doctor determines the joint, method and number of injections after looking at your scans

  • KneeKneeCartilage wearing down, meniscus problems, pain on stairs and after a walk
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderLifting the arm hurts; the joint and surrounding tendons are worn
  • ElbowElbowPain from overuse or sports load, with worn joint surfaces
  • Hand and wrist jointsHand and wrist jointsPain and stiffness in the small joints of the wrist and fingers
  • 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

The treatment relies solely on your own blood and adipose tissue — no donor or synthetic material

No crutches

No crutches

Local anaesthetic and small punctures in place of incisions — no long recovery programme or rehabilitation

Second opinion

Second opinion

Your X-rays, MRI or reports are assessed independently by a doctor at no charge once you send them

Support after the procedure

Support after the procedure

We keep in contact after the procedure and monitor the result, rather than stopping on the day of the injection

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 price depends on the joint, the method and the stage of osteoarthritis, so the doctor gives it after the consultation

FAQ

Joint treatment: frequently asked questions

About the conditions

More about these conditions

Other services of our clinic

Osteoarthritis treatment in Bologna: what you should know

Without treatment, osteoarthritis usually progresses: pain becomes constant, movement becomes limited and the joint may deform. Early diagnosis, weight control, exercise and working with a doctor make a real difference for every patient in Bologna.

Follow-up visits let the doctor see how the joint responds. In Bologna, check-ups after one, three and six months help adjust the plan and decide whether a repeat course is needed.

Book a free consultation in Bologna to find out whether SVF or PRP could slow your osteoarthritis. The doctor names the price after examining the joint.

A compact city where every joint carries a load

Bologna has 391,473 residents packed into 140.86 km², a density of about 2,779 people per km². The wider Metropolitan City adds up to 1,024,290 people. For joints, the numbers that matter are the daily routines that come with such a compact city: stairs in older buildings, short walks to a bus stop, a standing job in a shop or workshop, a bicycle ride along the flat streets of the plain. None of these causes osteoarthritis alone. Together, over decades, they set how much work the cartilage of the knee, hip and ankle has to do.

Osteoarthritis is a slow, chronic wearing of the cartilage that lines the joint. Healthy cartilage softens impact. Once it thins, the bones start to rub, and the joint hurts, stiffens and moves less. It is a degenerative condition rather than an inflammatory one, even though flare-ups with swelling happen. The knee (gonarthrosis) and the hip (coxarthrosis) are affected most often because they carry the greatest load. Then come the ankle and the small joints of the hand.

The city's population has been growing: 371,337 in 2011, 387,842 in 2021, and 391,473 now. Among the residents, 18.2% were born outside Italy (2025 figure). This matters for the way a consultation is organised. Patients may bring scans with reports in different languages, or X-rays taken years ago and kept on a disc or a phone. The coordinator can work with whatever you have. You can send photographs of the films, PDF reports or MRI files over WhatsApp or Telegram, and a doctor reviews them free of charge before anyone discusses a plan.

Life expectancy in Italy was 83.4 years in 2018, among the highest in the OECD. A longer life means the joints must last longer, so questions about keeping your own joint come up earlier and more often. The treatment described here is built on that idea. It uses your own blood and your own adipose tissue, with no donor or synthetic material, and aims to slow cartilage wear instead of replacing the joint. It works best at an early or moderate stage. If the joint is already badly worn, the doctor will say frankly that a replacement may be more realistic.

Stiff mornings: what January in Bologna does to a sore joint

Bologna sits at 54 m above sea level on the edge of the Po Plain, where the Reno and Savena valleys meet at the foot of the Apennines. The climate is humid subtropical. In January the average high is 7.2 °C and the average low is -0.5 °C, and relative humidity averages 79.2%. In November it reaches 81%, and that month, along with October, is the wettest of the year. For comparison, July averages 59.1% humidity, with a mean high of 31.4 °C.

Many people with osteoarthritis describe the cold, damp months as the time when joints complain most. This is a patient observation, not something that can be promised or measured for any one person, and the weather does not cause the cartilage damage. Still, it helps to know what is typical, because it affects when you notice symptoms and when you decide to do something about them. Osteoarthritis typically brings aching pain on movement, crunching and stiffness after rest. That is different from arthritis, where the joint is inflamed, with pain at rest and at night, swelling, redness and warmth, and morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes. A winter flare in a knee that is swollen, red and warm at night deserves a different diagnostic route from a knee that is merely stiff after sitting. That is why diagnosis comes first.

The colder season is also a practical time to prepare. The climate data show 73 days a year with at least 1 mm of rain, about 6 snowy days a year on older averages, and extremes down to about -17 °C in February and December. Sunshine falls from roughly 291 hours in July to 74 hours in December. Shorter, darker days make people walk and exercise less, and for a joint that needs muscles around it to share the load, that matters. Swimming, water aerobics, cycling, Nordic walking and yoga are suitable options, while running on hard surfaces, jumping and heavy lifting are better avoided. On a wet pavement in November, indoor options such as the pool or a stationary bike are easier to keep up.

If you want treatment to fall in a calmer period, you can aim for late winter or spring. The procedure is done in one day, and you do not need crutches or a hospital stay. Even so, the first week can bring a little more aching in the joint, which is an expected reaction. Planning the injection for a week without long walks or a heavy work schedule is sensible.

Weight, sedentary habits and the knee

National figures for Italian adults show that 46.3% are overweight or obese: 34.6% overweight and 11.8% obese, up from 10.3% a decade earlier. About 35% of people aged 3 and over are sedentary. These are national numbers, and no regional split was found, so they cannot be read as a statement about Bologna itself. They do show the general direction, and the direction matters for cartilage. Body weight is one of the factors that affect how long the result of treatment lasts. The same is true of activity level and the stage of the condition.

Each extra kilogram is carried mostly by the knees and hips, which is why doctors who treat osteoarthritis talk about weight control alongside any injection. Early diagnosis, weight control, exercise and a steady relationship with a doctor make a real difference. Without them, osteoarthritis usually gets worse: pain becomes constant, movement is increasingly limited, the joint can deform and walking may become difficult.

The same applies to sport. Bologna has a strong tradition of football and basketball, with Bologna FC 1909 and Virtus Bologna among the best known names, and amateur matches on weekends follow naturally. Old injuries are a common route to osteoarthritis, and the service covers rehabilitation after injuries and surgery, meniscus injury, and the ankle pain and stiffness that often follow sprains. If you played or worked hard on your joints for years, tell the doctor. High load on the joints, whether from sport or physical work, is one of the situations in which the treatment is considered.

The method itself is simple to describe. A small amount of blood is drawn from a vein for platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Under local anaesthetic, about 30 ml of adipose tissue is taken through a puncture on the abdomen or the inner thigh, and no stitches are needed. Both samples are spun in a centrifuge, and the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) is isolated and blended with the plasma. The mixture is injected into the joint under ultrasound guidance. PRP alone is often used for mild osteoarthritis, and the combination with SVF is used when a stronger effect is needed.

Public healthcare in Italy and where an online consultation fits

Italy's national health service, the SSN, was established in 1978. It gives universal coverage to citizens and residents and is run on a regional basis, with national Essential Levels of Care (LEA) defining what must be provided. Healthcare spending reached 9.7% of GDP in 2020. Specialist visits carry a co-payment, and there are exemptions by age (over 65 or under 6), by income and for chronic illness. Osteoarthritis is a chronic condition, so it is worth asking your own health office whether an exemption applies to you.

Waiting times are described as usually up to a few months in the big public facilities, and usually up to a few weeks in private facilities contracted with the SSN, though no official waiting-list figure was found. A long wait for an orthopaedic or rheumatology appointment is often the moment when people look for a second opinion. An online consultation can fill that gap: you send the X-ray or MRI, and a doctor assesses the stage free of charge, with no obligation to book anything. The reply from the coordinator usually comes within 15 minutes, and the chat is open round the clock.

It is important to be exact about what we can and cannot say. The facts available to us do not state whether the public system reimburses SVF or PRP injections, so we do not claim that it does or does not. Cost is quoted by the doctor after the consultation, because it depends on the joint, the method and the stage. Ask your health office about any reimbursement rules that may apply to you, and ask us for a written plan that you can show them.

Patients in Italy sometimes move between regions for care, and Bologna, as the capital of Emilia-Romagna, is part of that pattern of regional healthcare. For a patient who lives in Bologna or the surrounding Metropolitan City, an online first step means no waiting-room day just to learn whether the treatment suits you.

Using the calendar and the commute to plan the procedure

The average commute in Bologna is 5.4 km and takes 53 minutes per weekday trip. Trolleybus lines have been run by TPER since 2012, and the first tramway line was under construction in 2023, with four lines planned. If your day includes standing on a crowded bus or long walks to a stop, think about it before the injection day. Right after the procedure you do not need crutches, but the joint may ache a little more for a week, and a lighter schedule helps.

Holidays are another practical tool. Italian national holidays include 1 November, 8 December, 25 and 26 December, 1 and 6 January, and every Sunday is a holiday too. A holiday week can give you time to rest the joint, although these are also busy periods in family life. Plan a quiet few days around the injection and keep the first follow-up message to the coordinator on your calendar.

Bologna's university, founded around 1088, enrols 90,291 students, and the city hosts festivals such as Bologna Jazz Festival, Biografilm and Il Cinema Ritrovato. For students, teachers and event staff, standing for long periods and carrying equipment are routine. Cinema and festival crowds mean queues and long evenings on your feet, and if a knee or ankle is already sore, it is worth getting the scans reviewed before a busy season starts.

Typical timing after treatment, as an average and not a promise, runs like this: in the first week the joint may ache more, after about a month the pain usually eases, around 3 months mobility and activity improve, and around 6 months the full effect develops. Many patients notice early changes 2–3 weeks after the procedure. How long the effect lasts differs from person to person, from several months to several years, and osteoarthritis being chronic, it calls for an ongoing plan rather than a one-off injection.

Not everyone is suitable. Cancer, pregnancy, blood clotting disorders, acute infections (including infection in or near the joint) and a flare-up of a serious chronic illness rule the treatment out. A raised temperature, a cold or flu, or inflamed skin over the target joint are temporary reasons to wait. The doctor decides after reviewing your scans.

Does the damp Bologna winter make osteoarthritis worse?

Many patients say that cold, humid months feel worse, and January in Bologna averages 79.2% humidity with highs of 7.2 °C and lows of -0.5 °C. The weather does not cause the cartilage wear, though, and the effect differs from person to person. If a joint is swollen, red, warm or painful at night, that points to inflammation rather than simple wear, and it should be checked. Send your scans and the doctor will help you tell the two apart.

Is it better to have the procedure in winter or in the warmer months?

There is no rule, because the procedure takes one day and needs no crutches or hospital stay. Some patients prefer late winter or spring so that the first weeks of improvement coincide with more daylight and more walking. Others choose a quiet week around a holiday. Ask the coordinator to match the date to your work and commute, remembering that the joint may ache more during the first week.

Can I send scans taken years ago, or reports from a public hospital in Emilia-Romagna?

Yes. X-rays, MRI, ultrasound and blood test results can be sent over WhatsApp or Telegram as photographs or PDFs, and the doctor reviews them free of charge. Newer images are more useful for judging the current stage, so if your last X-ray is old, the doctor may ask for a recent one. Reports written in other languages can be accepted too.

I am waiting for a public orthopaedic appointment. Can I get an opinion in the meantime?

Waiting times in large public facilities are usually up to a few months, so many people use that period to get a second opinion. Send your existing X-ray or MRI, and the doctor will assess the stage and say whether treatment without surgery suits you. There is no obligation to book anything, and you can keep your public appointment.

Will the national health service pay for SVF or PRP injections?

We cannot confirm that. The national health service gives universal coverage to citizens and residents and sets national Essential Levels of Care, but we have no information that these injections are included. Exemptions from co-payments exist by age, income or chronic illness, and they relate to the public system. Ask your regional health office, and we will give you a written plan from the doctor to show them.

Does extra body weight change the outcome?

Body weight is one of the factors that influence how long the result lasts, along with the stage, activity and other individual features. In Italy 46.3% of adults are overweight or obese, so this is a common situation, and the doctor does not treat it as a reason to refuse a consultation. Weight control and suitable exercise are part of a sensible plan, together with the injections.

I stand or walk a lot at work. Should I change anything before the procedure?

Physical work and high joint load are listed among the situations where treatment is considered. Before the procedure, tell the doctor how many hours you stand or carry loads. If you are unwell with a raised temperature, a cold or flu, or have inflamed skin over the joint, the procedure has to wait. Plan lighter duties for the first week, when slightly increased aching is expected.

What is the quickest way to start from Bologna?

Message the coordinator on WhatsApp or Telegram, which answer round the clock, with a reply usually within 15 minutes. Attach your scans if you have them. The doctor reviews them, tells you the stage and whether the treatment suits you, and proposes a plan if it does. The consultation is free.