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Osteoarthritis Treatment in Espoo

Knee, hip or another joint affected by arthrosis? SVF cell therapy and PRP, with a no-cost look at your X-rays or MRI to define 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)?

Arthrosis (osteoarthritis) means slow, chronic wear of the cartilage lining the joint. Healthy cartilage softens impact; when it thins, the bones rub on each other and the joint hurts, stiffens and moves less. Although flare-ups with swelling happen, this is a degenerative disease rather than an inflammatory one.

  • 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; a cold or the flu; skin inflammation above 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

Examination of the joint plus a review of your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound tells the doctor whether the procedure is suitable. If you have scans already, you can send them before the appointment.

Blood sample for PRP2

Blood sample for PRP

A small amount of venous blood is drawn, to be processed later into platelet-rich plasma with growth factors.

Adipose tissue sample3

Adipose tissue sample

About 30 ml of adipose tissue is taken through a puncture in the abdomen or inner thigh, with local anaesthetic. The puncture needs no stitches.

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

Directly into the affected joint, under ultrasound guidance — this is how the prepared material is injected for precise placement.

Follow-up6

Follow-up

Crutches and a hospital stay are not required. The doctor stays in touch after the procedure, following 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

We use your own adipose tissue and blood only, with no donor or synthetic material

Cell therapy (SVF) from your own adipose tissue

We take a small sample of your adipose tissue and process it to isolate the stromal vascular fraction (SVF), a mix of cells that take part in tissue repair. It is combined with your own plasma and injected into the affected joint.

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

Its main use is at early and moderate stages of osteoarthritis, to slow the wear of cartilage and lessen 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 frequently used for mild osteoarthritis, and combined with SVF when a stronger 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

Large joints and small joints — having reviewed your scans, the doctor chooses which joint, which method and how many injections

  • KneeKneeCartilage wearing down, meniscus problems, pain on stairs and after a walk
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderPain while raising the arm and wear of the joint and its tendons
  • ElbowElbowWear of the joint surfaces and pain after overuse or sports strain
  • Hand and wrist jointsHand and wrist jointsStiff, painful small joints in the fingers and the wrist
  • AnkleAnklePain and stiffness after sprains and old injuries

Advantages

Why patients choose City Medical Centre

Keeping your own joint instead of replacing it: that is the goal of treatment without surgery

Your own tissue

Your own tissue

We use your own adipose tissue and blood only, with 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

Free of charge, a doctor gives an independent assessment of the X-rays, MRI or reports you send

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

By messaging us, you agree to our Privacy Policy

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 in Espoo: stages, methods and price

Osteoarthritis most often affects the joints that carry the most load: the knee (gonarthrosis) and the hip (coxarthrosis), as well as the ankle and the small joints of the hand. Patients from Espoo with any of these joints can have their scans reviewed free of charge.

Blood tests help rule out inflammatory conditions before treatment. If you are a patient from Espoo, the doctor tells you in advance which tests are needed so you can prepare.

Do not wait until the joint is destroyed. Book a free consultation in Espoo: early and moderate osteoarthritis responds best to treatment. The price is set individually.

An ageing share of a growing city

Osteoarthritis is the slow, chronic wear of the cartilage that lines the ends of the bones in a joint. Healthy cartilage softens impact. When it thins, the bones start to rub, and the joint aches, stiffens and moves less. Because it develops over years, age structure is one of the first things worth looking at when you ask how common the problem may be in a place.

Espoo is the second largest municipality in Finland. At the end of 2025 it had 325,716 residents, and the population grew by 4,785 people (1.5%) in 2025, mostly through migration. People aged 65 and over make up 15.3% of residents, and 61.1% are aged 20-64. About 24% are under 20. The city estimates that it will reach 380,000 residents by 2033. The working-age group is the largest, and these are the years when joint pain often starts to affect work, sport and daily routines.

Knees (gonarthrosis) and hips (coxarthrosis) are affected most, because they carry the greatest load. The ankle and the small joints of the hand follow. Typical early signs are pain, crunching or stiffness in a joint, and painkillers that help only for a short time. If this sounds familiar, the first step is not a decision about a procedure. It is an assessment of the stage of the disease.

The doctor works with scans, so everything can start online. You send an X-ray, MRI or ultrasound that you already have, and the doctor reviews it free of charge. The doctor decides whether your case is early, moderate or advanced, and says frankly if a joint replacement looks more realistic than injections.

Body weight, activity and the joints you carry

In the national Terve Suomi 2023 survey from THL, obesity (BMI of 30 or more) affected 30% of Finnish women and 27% of men, which is about 1.2 million adults. The figures are self-reported, and the share varies between wellbeing services counties, from 17 to 30% for men and from 20 to 28% for women. These numbers describe the country, not any single person. They are useful context because weight is one of the factors that decide how a joint copes.

The medical information we work with says directly that how long the effect of treatment lasts depends on the stage of the condition, body weight, activity and other factors. For that reason no one can promise a fixed result. Controlling weight, regular exercise and cooperation with a doctor make a real difference to how osteoarthritis develops. This holds with or without an injection.

Movement matters as well. Suitable activity builds the muscles that unload the joint, feeds the cartilage better and keeps you moving. Swimming, water aerobics, cycling, Nordic walking and yoga are gentle options. Running on hard surfaces, jumping, heavy lifting and sudden movements are best avoided when a joint is already worn.

Espoo has public swimming facilities, including the Leppävaara, Keski-Espoo, Espoonlahti and Tapiola pools and the Serena Waterpark. Water exercise is one of the options that spares the joints, and it is worth discussing with the doctor how to build it into your plan.

Cold months, dark months and stiff joints

Winters in Espoo are clearly cold. In January the mean daily maximum is -2.3 °C and the minimum -6.5 °C. February is close to that, with -2.2 °C and -6.9 °C, and in March the figures are 1.6 °C and -4.8 °C. Snow usually first falls after Christmas and melts from late March to early April.

Sunshine is scarce from November to January, and day length falls to about 6 hours at midwinter, compared with about 19 hours at midsummer. We do not claim that cold weather causes osteoarthritis. The disease is degenerative, and the cartilage wears for other reasons. Still, many people with sore joints notice stiffness after rest, and short days and slippery ground can mean less movement. Less movement does not help a joint.

A practical approach is to keep a steady routine through the dark months. Indoor options include swimming, cycling or yoga. Nordic walking suits the outdoor season when the ground allows it. It also helps to keep notes on when the joint hurts: after a long walk, on stairs, after sitting, or at night. Pain at rest and at night, morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes, swelling, redness and warmth point more towards arthritis, which is an inflammatory disease. Aching pain on movement, crunching and stiffness after rest point towards osteoarthritis. The treatment approach differs, so diagnosis comes first.

Annual precipitation is about 659.8 mm, with August the wettest month and April the driest. For a patient, the practical point is simple. Consultations are online, so a snowy or rainy day does not prevent you from sending your scans and talking to the doctor.

Work, study and sport: where joint load comes from

High load on the joints, whether from sport or from physical work, is one of the situations in which injection treatment is considered. So is recovery after injuries and surgery. Espoo combines a large student and research environment with active sport. Aalto University, whose main campus is in Otaniemi, has about 16,000 students and 5,200 employees. Sports venues include the Tapiola and Leppävaara sports parks, and the Espoo Metro Areena will host the FIBA Women's EuroBasket in 2027.

These facts show how much activity there is around the city. They do not tell us how many people have joint problems, and we do not draw such conclusions. What matters medically is the type of load. Pain after overloading or sports strain can reflect wear of the joint surface in the elbow. Pain on stairs or after walking can come with cartilage wear and meniscus trouble in the knee. Groin pain and limited rotation are typical of early hip osteoarthritis.

The doctor treats small and large joints: knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, the joints of the hand and wrist, and the ankle. After looking at your scans, the doctor determines the joint, the method and the number of injections. Meniscus pathology, rehabilitation after injuries and surgery, and a second opinion on your scans are also part of the same consultation.

If you are not sure that treatment is right for you, leave your number. The coordinator will ask for your scans, and the doctor will tell you whether treatment without surgery suits you. Some conditions rule it out, including cancer, pregnancy, blood clotting disorders, acute infections (also in or near the joint) and a flare-up of a serious chronic illness. A raised temperature, a cold or flu, or inflamed skin above the joint are temporary reasons to wait.

Care in Finland and what to ask about coverage

Public health services in Finland are available to everyone resident in the country. Municipalities are responsible for organising them, and private care exists alongside. The most demanding care is given in five hospital districts, one of which is Helsinki. Espoo is part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, so residents can use both public and private routes for orthopaedic questions.

Kela, the national insurer, reimburses private care only when it is necessary treatment of illness, pregnancy or childbirth in line with accepted good practice. When judging necessity, Kela uses the Käypä hoito recommendations and the range of health-care services. Kela also states that it does not pay sickness-care reimbursement for the costs of aesthetic treatment. Osteoarthritis is a disease and not an aesthetic matter, but we do not promise that any particular procedure will be reimbursed.

The sensible approach is to ask Kela or your insurer about your own case before you decide. Our coordinator can provide a written summary of the plan after the consultation, which helps when you talk to them. The doctor quotes the cost only after the consultation, because it depends on the joint, the method and the stage of osteoarthritis.

The coordinators reply on WhatsApp and Telegram around the clock, and the first consultation with the review of your scans is free and carries no obligation to book surgery.

How the procedure goes, from your own tissue to follow-up

The treatment uses SVF (stromal vascular fraction from your own adipose tissue) and PRP (platelet-rich plasma from your own blood). Only your own blood and adipose tissue are used, with nothing donor or synthetic. First the doctor examines the joint and reviews your scans. A small amount of blood is then taken from a vein. Under local anaesthetic the doctor collects roughly 30 ml of adipose tissue through a puncture on the abdomen or the inner thigh, and stitches are not needed.

The samples are spun in a centrifuge, the stromal vascular fraction is isolated and blended with the platelet-rich plasma. The material is injected directly into the affected joint under ultrasound guidance. The whole procedure is done in one day. There are no crutches and no hospital stay.

After the procedure the joint may ache a little more for about a week, which is an expected reaction. Pain usually eases at about a month, and mobility and activity improve at around three months. The full effect develops at about six months. These timings are averages given for guidance, and the doctor confirms the plan for your joint. Osteoarthritis is chronic, so it needs an ongoing plan and not a one-off injection.

Does the cold season in Espoo make osteoarthritis worse?

We cannot say that cold weather causes or worsens the disease. Osteoarthritis is degenerative, and the cartilage wears over time. Winter in Espoo is cold, with a January mean daily minimum of -6.5 °C, and daylight shrinks to about 6 hours at midwinter. Many people move less in those months and notice more stiffness after rest. Keep up gentle activity such as swimming, cycling or yoga, and tell the doctor how your symptoms change through the year.

Can I take part in an online consultation if I live in Espoo?

Yes. The consultation is online and free, and the coordinators answer on WhatsApp and Telegram around the clock. You can send an X-ray, MRI or ultrasound that you already have. The doctor reviews it, assesses the stage and says whether treatment without surgery looks suitable.

Will Kela reimburse this treatment?

We cannot promise that. Kela reimburses private care only when it is necessary treatment of illness in line with accepted good practice, and it uses the Käypä hoito recommendations when judging necessity. It does not reimburse aesthetic treatment. Ask Kela or your insurer about your own case, and ask our coordinator for a written summary of the plan to support that conversation.

Does body weight matter for the result?

Yes. How long the effect lasts depends on the stage of the condition, body weight, activity and other factors, so no fixed result can be promised. Controlling weight, exercise and cooperation with a doctor make a real difference to how osteoarthritis develops.

Which kind of exercise suits me during the dark months?

Swimming, water aerobics, cycling, Nordic walking and yoga are gentle options. Espoo has public pools in Leppävaara, Keski-Espoo, Espoonlahti and Tapiola for water exercise. Avoid running on hard surfaces, jumping, heavy lifting and sudden movements. The doctor can adjust the advice to your joint and stage.

I play sport or do physical work. Does that change the plan?

High load on the joints is one of the situations in which treatment is considered. The doctor looks at which joint carries the load, what your scans show and how advanced the wear is. The doctor then decides the method and the number of injections. In advanced cases, the doctor will tell you frankly if a joint replacement is more realistic.

Which scans should I prepare before the consultation?

An X-ray remains the main method and shows the stage. MRI gives a detailed picture of cartilage and soft tissues, and ultrasound shows inflammation and fluid. Blood tests help rule out inflammatory diseases. If you do not have recent scans, the coordinator will explain what is useful, and existing results are reviewed free of charge.

When should I wait before the procedure?

A raised temperature, a cold or flu, and inflamed skin above the target joint are temporary reasons to wait. Acute infection in or near the joint rules treatment out until it has cleared. With the long winter season in mind, tell the coordinator about any recent illness when you book.