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SVF and PRP for Osteoarthritis in Kigali

Cell therapy (SVF) plus PRP for arthrosis of the knee, hip and beyond. Send your X-rays or MRI — the stage review costs nothing

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, also called arthrosis, is a chronic condition in which the cartilage lining a joint gradually thins and wears away. Cartilage works as a shock absorber; as it breaks down, the bones start to rub against each other, causing pain, stiffness and a smaller range of movement. It is a degenerative rather than an inflammatory disease, although flare-ups with swelling do happen.

  • 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

Only a doctor, after an examination and a review of scans, decides whether this 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: 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

Your joint is examined and your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound are reviewed; then the doctor decides if the procedure suits you. You may send any scans you have before you come.

Blood sample for PRP2

Blood sample for PRP

Blood is taken from a vein in a small amount. Later, platelet-rich plasma containing 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 is spun in a centrifuge and separates into layers. The stromal vascular fraction is isolated and mixed with the platelet-rich plasma.

Injection into the joint5

Injection into the joint

Using ultrasound guidance, the doctor injects the prepared material directly into the affected joint so it is placed precisely.

Follow-up6

Follow-up

There are no crutches and no hospital stay. After the procedure the doctor keeps in touch and follows 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 your own adipose tissue and blood only, with no donor or synthetic material

Cell therapy (SVF) from your own adipose tissue

Your adipose tissue, in a small sample, is processed to isolate the stromal vascular fraction (SVF): a combination of cells that take part in tissue repair. With your own plasma added, it is injected into the joint in question.

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

Taken from a small amount of your blood, plasma rich in platelets and growth factors is injected into the joint. There it helps calm inflammation and sets up better conditions for tissue 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

Large and small joints — the doctor chooses the joint, the method and the number of injections after reviewing your scans

  • KneeKneeStairs and walking cause pain; cartilage wear and meniscus problems
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderJoint and tendon wear around it, pain on lifting the arm
  • ElbowElbowJoint surface wear and pain after overloading 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

Your own joint is kept, not replaced — we treat 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

Punctures in place of incisions, local anaesthetic and no lengthy rehabilitation period

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

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

Request a free call

Price

Osteoarthritis treatment prices

The doctor names the cost after the consultation — it depends on the joint, the method and how advanced the osteoarthritis is

FAQ

Joint treatment: frequently asked questions

About the conditions

More about these conditions

Other services of our clinic

Osteoarthritis in Kigali: stages, methods and price

Cartilage works as a shock absorber. When it thins, the bones start to rub against each other, and the joint becomes painful and less mobile. Osteoarthritis in Kigali is a degenerative condition rather than an inflammatory one, although flare-ups with swelling happen.

Osteoarthritis treatment in Kigali is not done with cancer, acute infections, blood clotting disorders, during pregnancy or during a flare-up of a serious chronic illness. The doctor checks this at the consultation.

Knee or hip osteoarthritis? Patients from Kigali can send their X-rays or MRI and get a free assessment of the stage and a clear answer on suitable treatment and its price.

Kigali and the question of joint pain

Kigali is the capital and largest city of Rwanda and also a province-level administrative unit. According to the 2022 Rwandan census, its population was 1,745,555. It is a young city: 73 per cent of residents are under 30 and 94 per cent are under 50. Joint problems are therefore rarely the first thing people associate with it, yet osteoarthritis affects working adults, former athletes, people with heavy manual jobs and older relatives who live in the same households.

The city is built across numerous ridges and valleys joined by steep slopes. Many residents climb and descend hills every day on foot, on the way to a bus, a market or a workplace. A painful knee or hip is felt at once in such a landscape, and this is often the moment when people start looking for an explanation and a treatment plan.

This text is written for people in Kigali who want to understand what osteoarthritis treatment with SVF therapy involves, how a free online consultation with City Medical Centre works, and how to plan the weeks of recovery around the rhythm of the city. It gives general guidance only. The decision about any procedure belongs to you and the treating doctor after examination and review of your imaging.

Osteoarthritis or arthritis: why the difference matters

People in Kigali often use the word arthritis for every kind of joint pain, but the two conditions are not the same. Arthritis is an inflammatory disease of the joints. Typical signs are pain at rest and at night, morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes, swelling, redness and warmth over the joint. Causes include autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, infections, gout and psoriasis.

Osteoarthritis is different in character. It is chronic and tied to wear and load on the joint, so it needs an ongoing plan rather than a single injection. Pain usually grows with activity and eases with rest, although advanced cases can hurt at night as well. If you notice redness, heat and swelling over a joint together with long morning stiffness, say so clearly during the consultation, because an inflammatory cause needs a different diagnostic path.

A sensible first step for anyone in the city is a diagnosis made by a physician with imaging, not self-treatment with painkillers bought at a pharmacy. Guidance such as NICE, Osteoarthritis in over 16s: diagnosis and management (NG226), stresses assessment, education, exercise and weight management as the base of care. SVF therapy is discussed as a possible addition to that base in suitable cases, never as a replacement for it.

What SVF therapy is and how the procedure goes

SVF therapy uses your own adipose tissue. Under local anaesthetic, a small portion of adipose tissue (about 30 ml) is taken through a puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh. No stitches are needed. The material is then processed and used in the plan agreed with the doctor.

For a person in Kigali this is useful to know in advance when thinking about daily life. The puncture area on the abdomen or thigh is small, so you can plan sensible clothing that does not rub it, and you should keep it clean as instructed. Tight waistbands and a long day on a crowded minibus are worth thinking about beforehand.

Ask the surgeon exactly where the tissue will be taken, how the area should be cared for, and when you can return to ordinary movement. Do not rely on stories from friends, because every plan is individual.

Which stage and which patient

Stage matters a great deal. At early stages (1–2), SVF therapy may be considered to support blood supply to the femoral head and delay the need for joint replacement. At later stages surgery is usually required. A patient who hopes to avoid an operation should therefore not wait for years while the joint deteriorates.

In general terms, good candidates are people with a confirmed early-stage diagnosis who are willing to follow a long-term plan. Contraindications are decided by the doctor and may include active infection, an inflammatory disease that has not been properly evaluated, or health conditions that make even a minor procedure under local anaesthetic unsuitable. Bring your reports, X-rays or MRI results and a list of your medicines to the online consultation.

If your imaging shows advanced damage, an honest specialist will tell you that joint replacement is the usual route. Asking directly whether your stage is early enough is the most important question you can put.

Climate of Kigali and recovery

Kigali has a tropical savanna climate, but its high elevation keeps temperatures cooler than in most equatorial countries. The average daily temperature ranges between 15 and 27 °C with little variation through the year. This is helpful for recovery: you are rarely exposed to extreme heat, and loose, breathable clothing is usually enough over a small puncture area.

There are two rainy seasons, from February to June and from September to December, separated by a major dry season from June to September and a shorter dry period from December to February. Rain matters for people with painful joints. Wet slopes in the city are slippery, and a fall during recovery is the last thing you want. In rainy months choose shoes with a firm grip, take extra time on steep paths and avoid carrying heavy loads uphill.

The long dry season from June to September, when it often does not rain at all, is a practical time to begin a plan for many people: paths are dry and walking is easier. Dust can be a nuisance on dry days, so keep the puncture area covered and clean. Torrential rains have become more frequent, so allow a margin for the day of your first steps after the procedure and do not schedule it around a day when you must move across the city in a storm.

Planning around work, study and family life

Kigali is the economic and financial hub of Rwanda, with a large service sector that includes retail, information technology, transport and hotels. Many people work on their feet in shops and hotels, others sit for long hours at a computer or drive. Both patterns burden the joints in different ways. Prolonged sitting stiffens a hip or knee, and constant standing wears on them.

Plan the days after the procedure with your employer or colleagues in advance. Ask the surgeon when you can return to desk work and when to resume standing or walking jobs. Do not promise a date to anyone before the doctor has seen your case, because the speed of return depends on the individual.

The city has many universities and institutes, so students also ask about joint pain, especially those who play football or run. Schedule treatment away from exam periods and team matches. For family events, which are central in Rwandan life, tell relatives that you need to sit comfortably, avoid long dancing and avoid lifting.

Food, weight and daily habits

Everyday food in Kigali is built on bananas, plantains, pulses, sweet potatoes, beans and cassava, often served in a self-service mélange with meat, chips or fish. Cassava leaves are cooked with onions as isombe, and brochettes are a favourite evening dish. Many of these foods are filling and can fit a balanced diet when portions are sensible.

Body weight is one of the main controllable loads on the knees and hips. The World Health Organization treats obesity and overweight as a health issue to be managed through diet and activity, and for osteoarthritis this advice is practical: lighter weight means less load on the joint. You do not need a strict diet before the procedure, but a steady and moderate eating pattern supports the whole plan.

Fried chips and sugary drinks add calories without much benefit, while beans, vegetables and fish help to keep weight in check. Discuss with the doctor whether you need a nutrition plan and which habits to adjust after the procedure.

Timing, results and expectations

Many patients notice the first changes 2–3 weeks after the procedure. A stable result forms over about six months and can last from several months to several years, depending on the individual. This means you should not judge the outcome in the first days, and you should not expect the joint to feel new overnight.

Because osteoarthritis is chronic, the outcome depends on what you do afterwards: exercise guided by a physiotherapist, weight control, sensible footwear and regular review. Think of SVF therapy as one element of a long programme, not a single event.

Keep a short diary of pain, stiffness and the distance you can walk on Kigali's slopes. It helps you and the doctor see whether the plan works and when a repeat assessment is advisable.

How the online consultation from Kigali works

The consultation is free and takes place online. You contact the coordinators on WhatsApp or Telegram, and they are available around the clock (24/7), so you can write at a time that suits your work or study. Send your imaging, test results and a short description of your symptoms: which joint hurts, since when, whether pain occurs at night, how long morning stiffness lasts.

A specialist reviews the material and tells you whether SVF therapy may be considered at your stage or whether another route is more appropriate. You can ask questions at your own pace and discuss the plan with your family before deciding anything.

Prepare questions in advance: Is my stage early enough? What do I need to do before the procedure? How will the puncture area be cared for? When can I walk uphill, return to work and resume sport? What follow-up will I need over the following months?

Is the consultation really free?

Yes. The online consultation for residents of Kigali is free, and coordinators answer on WhatsApp and Telegram around the clock (24/7).

Does SVF therapy cure osteoarthritis?

No. Osteoarthritis is chronic, so it needs an ongoing plan rather than a single injection. SVF therapy may be considered to support the joint at early stages and delay the need for replacement.

Which stage is suitable?

At early stages (1–2), SVF therapy may be considered to support blood supply to the femoral head and delay the need for joint replacement. At later stages surgery is usually required.

What happens during the procedure?

Under local anaesthetic, a small portion of adipose tissue (about 30 ml) is taken through a puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh. No stitches are needed.

When will I notice a change?

Many patients notice the first changes 2–3 weeks after the procedure. A stable result forms over about six months.

How long does the effect last?

It can last from several months to several years, depending on the individual.

How do I tell arthritis from osteoarthritis?

Arthritis is an inflammatory disease. Typical signs are pain at rest and at night, morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes, swelling, redness and warmth over the joint. Causes include autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, infections, gout and psoriasis. A doctor must confirm the diagnosis.

Do Kigali's hills make recovery harder?

Steep slopes put load on knees and hips, and rain makes them slippery. Plan your first weeks with firm footwear, avoid heavy loads uphill and follow the doctor's advice on walking.

What should I send for the consultation?

Imaging such as X-ray or MRI, previous reports, a list of medicines and a short description of symptoms.

Can I combine the plan with work and study?

Usually yes, but ask the surgeon about the return to desk work, standing jobs and sport before you choose a date.