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Hip Osteoarthritis Treatment in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

SVF cells and platelet-rich plasma for joints worn by arthrosis — knee, hip and others. Stage checked through a free review of your X-rays or MRI

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)?

In this chronic disease — osteoarthritis, or arthrosis — joint cartilage is gradually worn thin. Losing the cartilage cushion lets bone rub against bone, which brings pain, stiffness and a smaller range of motion. It is classed as degenerative, not inflammatory, even though swelling may come with flare-ups.

  • 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

Suitability for treatment is decided by a doctor, following an examination and a look at your scans

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: skin inflammation over the treated joint, a cold or flu, fever

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

The nurse takes a little blood from a vein. Platelet-rich plasma with growth factors is prepared from this blood later.

Adipose tissue sample3

Adipose tissue sample

A small portion of adipose tissue (about 30 ml) is taken under local anaesthetic through a puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh. There is no need for 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

The prepared material is injected directly into the affected joint under ultrasound guidance, which helps place it precisely.

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

Only your own blood and adipose tissue are used — no donor or synthetic material

Cell therapy (SVF) from your own adipose tissue

SVF — the stromal vascular fraction — is a mixture of repair-related cells isolated from a small sample of your own adipose tissue. It is injected into the affected joint together with your plasma.

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

The joint receives an injection of plasma rich in platelets and growth factors, prepared from a small amount of your blood. It helps reduce inflammation and creates a better setting for tissue repair.

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

Mild osteoarthritis is a common indication; when a stronger effect is needed, it is used together 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

Treatment for both large and small joints — your scans guide the doctor's choice of joint, method and number of injections

  • KneeKneePain on stairs and after walks, cartilage wear, meniscus issues
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderJoint and tendon wear around it, pain on lifting the arm
  • ElbowElbowPain that follows sports strain or overuse, and joint surface wear
  • Hand and wrist jointsHand and wrist jointsSmall joints of the fingers and wrist: pain and stiffness
  • 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

Only your own blood and adipose tissue are used — no donor or synthetic material

No crutches

No crutches

Instead of incisions we use punctures, under local anaesthetic, with no long rehabilitation

Second opinion

Second opinion

An independent assessment from a doctor, free of charge — send your X-rays, MRI or reports

Support after the procedure

Support after the procedure

We stay in touch after the procedure and follow the result, not just 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

After the consultation the doctor names the cost, which depends on the joint, the stage of osteoarthritis and the method

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 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria residents

Osteoarthritis, also called arthrosis, is a chronic condition in which the cartilage of a joint gradually thins and wears away. For patients from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, it usually shows as aching pain on movement, stiffness after rest and crunching in the joint.

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

Osteoarthritis treatment in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: price at consultation, free scan review, own tissue only. Leave your name and phone number, or message us in any messenger.

Why cartilage wear is a daily topic in a city of 383,516 people

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the ninth largest municipality in Spain, with 383.516 residents in 2024 and an urban area of roughly 635.000. In the Spanish edition of the European Health Survey run by the national statistics institute (2020), osteoarthritis came third among diagnosed chronic problems in people aged 15 and over, at 14,4 %. Only high blood pressure (19,0 %) and high cholesterol (15,3 %) ranked higher. Low back pain stood at 13,7 %. In other words, a joint that hurts on the way down a slope or after a long walk is a common complaint nationwide, not a rare one.

Osteoarthritis is the slow, chronic wear of the cartilage lining a joint. Healthy cartilage softens impact. When it thins, the bone ends rub against each other, and the joint aches, stiffens and moves less. It is a degenerative disease, not an inflammatory one, although flare-ups with swelling do happen. The knees (gonarthrosis) and hips (coxarthrosis) are hit hardest because they carry the most load. The ankle and the small joints of the hand follow.

The same national survey records obesity in 16,0 % of adults and overweight in 37,6 %, so 53,6 % of the population sits above the weight considered normal. Body weight is one of the factors that decide how long any osteoarthritis treatment holds. The extra load goes straight through the knees and hips. That is why a doctor looks at weight, activity and the stage of the joint together, not at the X-ray alone.

The city adds its own pattern. Las Palmas is compact, with 3.814 inhabitants per square kilometre across about 100,55 km2. The terrain runs from 8 m above sea level in the lowest part to 300 m in the highest, so many routes involve a real slope. Slopes and steps are exactly where a worn knee gives its first warning. The consultation is online, so you can describe these everyday situations to the doctor from home, together with your scans.

Mild winters, trade winds and stiff joints

Winter in Las Palmas is not cold by continental standards. In the 1981-2010 normals, January is the coolest month, with highs of 20,8 °C and lows of 15,0 °C. August is the warmest, at 27,5 °C and 21,6 °C. The annual average is 24,2 °C by day and 18,0 °C at night. Even so, patients with osteoarthritis often describe stiffness after rest. The disease itself explains that stiffness: aching on movement, crunching and stiffness after sitting still. A mild climate does not remove it. It only means that the winter months here are less of an obstacle to walking and exercise than in colder regions.

Damp matters as much as temperature. Average relative humidity is 66 %, and the trade winds bring cool, moist air. Some people feel their joints more on such days. The doctor will not promise that weather changes the course of the disease, and no weather can be blamed for cartilage wear. But if you notice that your knee is worse on windy, damp mornings, say so at the consultation and note when it happens. That detail helps separate wear-and-tear pain, which grows with movement, from inflammatory pain, which is present at rest and at night with swelling, redness and warmth.

December is the rainiest month, with 31 mm over 4,5 days, and from June to August there is practically no rain, with 0 mm in July. Sunshine totals 2.821 hours a year, from 308 hours in July to 179 in December. With so little rain, outdoor activity is possible for most of the year, which suits an osteoarthritis plan. Suitable activity builds the muscles that unload the joint, nourishes the cartilage better and keeps you moving. Swimming, water aerobics, cycling, Nordic walking and yoga are the gentle options. Running on hard surfaces, jumping, heavy lifting and sudden movements are best avoided.

The sea, the long beach and loading the joint sensibly

The Playa de Las Canteras runs for 3.100 m and is the largest beach in the city. Las Alcaravaneras is a little over 800 m, and La Laja about 1.200 m. For someone with a painful knee or hip, water is a practical tool. Swimming and water exercise take the body weight off the joint while the muscles keep working. The sea temperature averages 21 °C over the year, with a low of 19,1 °C in February and March and a high of 23,4 °C in September and October. That makes regular water exercise realistic in every season.

Sand and the long promenade call for some judgement. Walking at a steady pace is useful, but soft sand and sudden turns can provoke an irritated joint. A doctor reviewing your scans can tell you which load suits your stage. Typical advice for gonarthrosis is to build up distance gradually and to prefer even surfaces when the knee is flaring. For coxarthrosis, groin pain and limited rotation are the signals to watch.

For people whose joints are loaded by sport or physical work, the procedure is described as suitable in the list of indications. The same list includes pain, crunching or stiffness in a joint, painkillers that help only briefly, recovery after injuries and surgery, a wish to avoid or postpone joint replacement, and the need for a second opinion on scans. Early or moderate arthrosis is the group that responds best.

The method itself uses only your own tissue. A small amount of blood is taken from a vein to prepare platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Under local anaesthetic, the doctor collects about 30 ml of adipose tissue through a puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh. No stitches are needed. The sample is spun in a centrifuge, the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) is isolated and blended with the plasma, and the material is injected into the joint under ultrasound guidance. The whole procedure is done in one day, with no crutches and no hospital stay.

Waiting lists and why people ask for a second opinion

Public-health data show why many people want a clear plan early. At the end of 2025, the Canary Islands had 32.131 patients in structural surgical waiting, 14,59 per 1.000 inhabitants, with an average wait of 106 days. Traumatology alone accounted for 8.592 patients in the islands, with an average wait of 137 days. Nationally, Traumatology is the specialty with the longest wait for a first outpatient consultation, at 132 days on average.

For joint replacement, national averages at the same date were 98 days for hip prostheses, with 13,7 % exceeding the 180-day maximum, and 105 days for knee prostheses, with 15,9 % exceeding it. These are statistics for a whole health system, not a forecast for any one person. But they explain why a patient with a knee that is getting worse may want a second view of the X-ray or MRI while waiting.

An online review fits that situation. You send reports, X-rays or MRI, and the doctor assesses them free of charge. The doctor states the stage and, where appropriate, proposes a non-surgical plan. The doctor will also say frankly if a joint replacement is the more realistic option. In advanced cases, when the joint space has almost disappeared, a lasting effect from injections cannot be expected. A free review can therefore shorten uncertainty even for someone who ends up on a replacement list.

Coverage works in a particular way in Spain. The common portfolio of national health services (Royal Decree 1030/2006) excludes techniques whose purpose is merely aesthetic or cosmetic. Treating cartilage wear is a medical matter, not a cosmetic one. Whether a given private procedure is reimbursed by a particular insurance policy depends on the policy terms. Ask your insurer in writing, and our coordinator can supply a description of the procedure for that purpose.

Preparing for the online consultation and the weeks after

Good preparation makes the consultation shorter and more precise. An X-ray remains the main method and shows the stage. MRI gives a detailed picture of cartilage and soft tissues. Ultrasound shows inflammation and fluid in the joint, and blood tests help rule out inflammatory diseases. Send what you already have, and the coordinator will tell you if anything essential is missing. Doctors usually describe four stages of knee osteoarthritis, from early thinning to severe wear, and injection treatment is most often considered in the early and middle ones.

A few contraindications are worth checking before you write. The treatment is not suitable with cancer, pregnancy, blood clotting disorders, acute infections (including infection in or near the joint), or a flare-up of a serious chronic illness. Temporary obstacles include a raised temperature, a cold or flu, and inflamed skin above the target joint. If you have any of these, tell the coordinator, and the doctor will advise on timing.

The usual course after the procedure looks like this:

- In the first week, the joint may ache a little more. This is an expected reaction.

- Around one month, the pain usually eases.

- At about three months, mobility and activity improve.

- At about six months, the full effect develops.

Many patients notice early changes two to three weeks after the procedure. How long the result lasts differs from person to person. It depends on the stage, body weight, activity and other factors, and no one can promise a fixed outcome. Osteoarthritis is chronic, so it needs an ongoing plan with exercise and weight control, not a one-off injection. The doctor stays in contact after the procedure and follows how the joint responds.

Coordinators answer round the clock on WhatsApp and Telegram, usually within 15 minutes, so the time difference of a late evening in the Canary Islands is not an obstacle. The consultation itself is free and carries no obligation to book anything.

Seasons of the year and when to ask about a joint

Some local rhythms are easy to plan around. The Carnival takes place every February, and its main parade draws about 200.000 people along a 6 km route. Many hours standing or dancing on hard pavement are a test for a sore knee or hip, so someone with an irritated joint may want a plan in place well before it. The fiestas of San Juan in June, marking the anniversary of the city's founding, are another busy period on foot. Planning the injection day, which is a single day, and the first week of possible extra aching around such events is a practical matter to discuss with the coordinator.

The university community, with a university founded in 1989 and more than twenty thousand students, brings a younger group into the city. For them, the questions usually concern joint pain after injuries, sport or sprains, especially in the ankle, where pain and stiffness after old injuries are among the listed indications. Recovery after injuries and surgery is also listed. The doctor decides the joint, the method and the number of injections after studying your scans.

One more local figure puts joint health in context. In 2020, 64,6 % of people aged 15 and over in the Canary Islands rated their health positively, the lowest share among Spain's autonomous communities. This does not tell us about any individual's knee, but it is a reminder that checking symptoms early is worthwhile. Early diagnosis, weight control, exercise and cooperation with a doctor make a real difference. Untreated osteoarthritis usually gets worse. The pain turns constant, movement is increasingly limited, the joint can deform, and walking may become difficult.

Does the mild Canary winter make osteoarthritis less of a problem?

Not by itself. In Las Palmas the coolest month, January, has highs of 20,8 °C and lows of 15,0 °C, so cold is not the main issue. But osteoarthritis causes stiffness after rest whatever the weather, and the average humidity of 66 % with trade winds is something some people notice. Keep a short note of when the joint is worse and show it to the doctor at the consultation.

Is swimming at Las Canteras a good way to look after an arthritic knee or hip?

Water exercise is one of the activities recommended for osteoarthritis, along with water aerobics, cycling, Nordic walking and yoga, because it builds the muscles that unload the joint. The sea averages 21 °C through the year, from 19,1 °C in February and March to 23,4 °C in September and October. Avoid sudden movements and jumping, and ask the doctor which load suits your stage.

I am on a public waiting list for a knee or hip. Can I still ask for a second opinion?

Yes. At the end of 2025, the national average wait was 105 days for knee prostheses and 98 days for hip prostheses, and in the Canary Islands the average wait in Traumatology was 137 days. Send your X-rays or MRI, and a doctor will review them free of charge and tell you the stage. If a joint replacement is more realistic, the doctor will say so honestly.

Does public health cover this kind of treatment?

The national common portfolio excludes procedures with a merely aesthetic purpose, and treating cartilage wear is a medical matter. Whether any private treatment is reimbursed depends on your own insurance policy. Ask the insurer in writing, and the coordinator can provide a description of the procedure for that request.

Which documents should I prepare before the online consultation?

Send any X-ray, MRI or ultrasound reports you have, plus recent blood tests if available. Write down which joint hurts, when it is worse (morning, after walking, on slopes, at night) and what painkillers you take. The coordinator will tell you if something is missing, and the review of existing results is free.

Does body weight affect whether the treatment works?

Yes, it is one of the factors the doctor weighs, together with the stage of the condition and your activity level. In Spain, 53,6 % of adults are above normal weight, so the topic is common and nothing to be embarrassed about. Controlling weight and regular exercise support any result.

How should I plan around Carnival in February or the June fiestas?

Tell the coordinator the dates in advance. The injection is done in one day, with no crutches and no hospital stay, but the joint may ache a little more during the first week, which is an expected reaction. Long hours standing or walking on hard ground, as at the main Carnival parade, which covers 6 km, are better planned after the first weeks.

Can I do the first conversation outside normal working hours?

Yes. Coordinators reply round the clock on WhatsApp and Telegram, typically within 15 minutes, and the first consultation is free. You can send your scans first and agree a convenient time for the doctor's call afterwards.