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Knee Osteoarthritis Treatment in Szczecin

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)?

In osteoarthritis, sometimes called arthrosis, the joint's cartilage lining wears away bit by bit over years. That cartilage normally absorbs shock; once it breaks down, bone rubs on bone and the joint becomes painful, stiff and less mobile. It is a disease of wear rather than inflammation, even if episodes of swelling 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

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: a fever, a cold or flu, or skin inflammation over 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

The joint is examined, your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound are reviewed, and the doctor decides if the procedure is right for you. Any scans you have can be sent prior to the visit.

Blood sample for PRP2

Blood sample for PRP

A small volume of venous blood is collected; from it, platelet-rich plasma with growth factors is prepared later on.

Adipose tissue sample3

Adipose tissue sample

Through a puncture on the abdomen or inner thigh, and under local anaesthetic, about 30 ml of adipose tissue is collected. No stitches are required.

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

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

No donor or synthetic material: we use only your own blood and adipose tissue

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

At early and moderate stages of osteoarthritis it is used mainly to reduce friction between the joint surfaces and slow 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 amount of your blood is used to separate plasma rich in platelets and growth factors, which is then injected into the joint. It helps settle inflammation and creates better conditions for tissue 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

Both large and small joints — after reviewing your scans, the doctor selects the joint, the method and how many injections you need

  • KneeKneeCartilage wear, meniscus problems, pain on stairs and after walking
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderPain when raising the arm, wear of the joint and surrounding tendons
  • ElbowElbowOveruse or sports strain causing pain; worn joint surfaces
  • Hand and wrist jointsHand and wrist jointsStiffness and pain in the small joints of the fingers and wrist
  • AnkleAnklePain and stiffness after sprains and old injuries

Advantages

Why patients choose City Medical Centre

We work to keep the joint you have instead of replacing it, using treatment without surgery

Your own tissue

Your own tissue

No donor or synthetic material: we use only your own blood and adipose tissue

No crutches

No crutches

No long rehabilitation: local anaesthetic and punctures instead of incisions

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

The result is followed after the procedure too; we stay in touch, not only 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

About osteoarthritis treatment for patients from Szczecin

The stage matters most. At early and moderate stages, SVF and PRP injections aim to ease pain, reduce friction between the joint surfaces and slow cartilage wear. At the most advanced stage, the doctor will tell patients in Szczecin honestly if joint replacement is the more realistic option.

During the first week the joint may ache a little more — this is an expected reaction. Pain usually eases over the first month, and mobility improves over about three months. Patients from Szczecin go home the same day.

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

Why cartilage wear deserves a scan in a city of 380,000

Szczecin is the capital of West Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-west Poland near the Baltic Sea and the German border. The population figure at the end of 2025 was 383,786, which makes it the seventh largest Polish city by population. By area it is fifth. A city this size has many adults in the age bands where the first signs of cartilage wear appear: a knee that crunches on the stairs, a hip that aches in the groin, a hand that is stiff in the morning.

Osteoarthritis (arthrosis) is 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. It is a degenerative disease, not an inflammatory one, although flare-ups with swelling do happen. The knees (gonarthrosis) and hips (coxarthrosis) are affected most, because they carry the greatest load. The ankle and the small joints of the hand follow.

The stage matters more than the date of the first twinge. Doctors usually describe four stages, from early thinning of the cartilage to severe wear. The non-surgical approach described here, SVF and PRP injections made from your own tissue, is most often considered in the early and middle stages. When the joint space has almost disappeared, a lasting effect cannot be expected. In that case the doctor will say frankly that a joint replacement is the more realistic route.

That is why the first step is a review of the pictures, not a decision about a method. If you already have an X-ray, MRI or ultrasound, you can send it to the coordinator on WhatsApp or Telegram. The doctor reviews the scans free of charge and tells you which stage they show. If the scans point to something else, the doctor will also say so. Arthritis, for example, brings pain at rest and at night, swelling, redness and warmth, and it needs a different approach.

Body weight, study years and the water-side sports calendar

The joints that carry the most load suffer first, and body weight is a large part of that load. The Supreme Audit Office (NIK) published 2022 data on obesity. Nationally it counted about 9,185 thousand adults with obesity, or 29.8% of the population. For Zachodniopomorskie the same table gives 392 thousand adults and 28.9%. NIK's chart is titled as a share of patients with overweight and obesity, so this is not strictly the same thing as prevalence. Even so, the order of magnitude is clear. A large share of adults in the region carries extra kilograms on knees and hips every day.

The service text names body weight, activity and the stage of the condition as the factors that decide how long the effect of the treatment lasts. It also lists controlling weight and regular exercise among the things that make a real difference to the disease. Treatment does not replace those habits. It is meant to give the joint better conditions so that you can keep to them.

Szczecin also has a visible sporting side. It has sailing, diving and water polo clubs, and a marathon is organised in the city in August. The men's tennis tournament Pekao Szczecin Open is held every September. None of this means everyone in the city runs or plays, but anyone who does faces the same question. High load on the joints, whether from sport or physical work, is one of the situations in which a doctor may consider this treatment. After injuries and operations, the same logic applies to recovery.

For those who exercise, the service text gives practical advice. Swimming, water aerobics, cycling, Nordic walking and yoga build the muscles that unload the joint and feed the cartilage. Running on hard surfaces, jumping, heavy lifting and sudden movements are best avoided. A city with a river, lake and lagoon nearby has plenty of places to swim. The Szczecin Lagoon north of the city covers 687 km2, and Lake Dąbie lies entirely within city limits.

The city also hosts the University of Szczecin with 35,000 students, as well as Pomeranian Medical University, Maritime University and West Pomeranian University of Technology. Many people who work at a desk or in a lecture hall do not think of themselves as having a "joint load". Sitting for long hours and then sudden effort is a common pattern. Ask the doctor about it during the consultation.

Stiff mornings from November to February

Anyone with osteoarthritis knows the pattern: aching pain on movement, crunching, and stiffness after rest. The cold months make it easier to notice. The facts for Szczecin show why the winter feels long. In January the mean maximum is 3.0 °C and the mean minimum is -1.8 °C. February reaches 4.5 °C by day and -1.3 °C at night. December sits at 4.0 °C and -0.5 °C.

Relative humidity averages 79.9% a year, and it is highest in November (89.1%) and December (89.0%). Sunshine is scarce too: only 32.2 hours in December and 42.7 hours in January, against 246.3 hours in July. There are on average 23.7 snowy days a year, most of them in January (7.6) and February (6.9). The extreme snow depth is only about 3.6 to 4.0 cm. The cold is damp rather than deeply frozen. The weather does not cause cartilage wear, but a joint that is already worn tends to be more noticeable in damp, dark weather, and less movement outdoors does not help.

For planning, this matters in a practical way. The procedure itself is done in one day. After it, the service text says the joint may ache a little more for about a week, which is an expected reaction. The pain usually eases by about one month. Mobility and activity improve at about three months, and the full effect develops at about six months. These timings are averaged and given for guidance. The doctor confirms them for your joint at the consultation.

Many patients therefore choose to start in the quieter part of the year, so that the improving months fall in spring and summer. Whether that suits you depends on your joint and your plans, not on the calendar. If you have a cold or flu, a raised temperature or inflamed skin above the target joint, the treatment waits. These are temporary contraindications. A damp season brings colds, so mention any infection to the coordinator in advance.

How public cover and waiting lists shape the decision

In Poland, treatment within the catalogue of publicly funded services is in most cases free for the insured patient. The National Health Fund (NFZ) states that services not listed in those catalogues are not financed by it. Whether a given method of joint treatment falls into one category or the other is something to clarify with your own insurer or the provider you use. The coordinators do not issue coverage decisions. What they can do is explain what the online consultation includes, which is a review of your scans and a plan from the doctor. All of it is free and carries no obligation to book surgery.

Waiting time is the other side of the picture. NFZ rules say that for a given service a patient may be entered on a waiting list with only one provider. The original referral must be delivered within 14 working days of entering the list. That matters if you are weighing a public queue against another route. An online scan review does not enter you on any list and does not affect your place in one.

For context on orthopaedic waits, a Ministry of Health reply of 5 August 2025 to a parliamentary question gave average figures. The wait for a hip replacement fell from 195 days in 2022 to 172 days in 2024. For a knee replacement it fell from 242 to 214 days. The source concentrates on the Warmian-Masurian voivodeship and does not state clearly whether the numbers are national. Still, it shows the typical order of magnitude: months of waiting, with pain in between.

Some patients use that time to find out whether the joint can still be helped without an operation. Joint replacement is the last option, for when the joint is already destroyed. In early and moderate osteoarthritis the doctor may suggest PRP, SVF or both, in order to ease pain and, in the case of SVF, to slow cartilage wear and reduce friction between the joint surfaces. It may also cut the need for regular hyaluronic acid injections. It does not remove the need for an operation in every case, and the doctor says so honestly after seeing your scans.

What the online consultation covers, and what follows

You do not need to be in the same room for the first step. Coordinators answer around the clock on WhatsApp and Telegram, and the doctor reviews your X-ray, MRI or ultrasound remotely. 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 disease. Existing results can be reviewed free of charge, so there is no need to repeat them before the consultation.

If the plan suits you, the procedure follows six steps. The doctor decides after examining the joint and reviewing the scans. A small amount of blood is taken from a vein for PRP. Under local anaesthetic, the doctor collects about 30 ml of adipose tissue through a puncture on the abdomen or the inner thigh, with no stitches. The samples are spun in a centrifuge, the stromal vascular fraction is isolated and blended with platelet-rich plasma, and the mixture is injected into the joint under ultrasound guidance. There are no crutches and no hospital stay. Only your own blood and adipose tissue are used, never donor or synthetic material.

A few points are worth knowing in advance. Cancer, pregnancy, blood clotting disorders, acute infections (including infection in or near the joint) and a flare-up of a serious chronic illness are reasons the treatment is not suitable. Osteoarthritis is chronic, so the service text speaks of an ongoing plan, not a one-off injection. The result differs from person to person, and no one can promise a fixed outcome.

Public holidays can affect when you can arrange rest around the procedure. Poland has 14 public non-working days, among them 1 January, 6 January, Easter Monday, 1 May, 3 May, 1 November, 11 November and the days from 24 to 26 December. Because the coordinators work round the clock, messages sent on those days are still answered.

Does the damp Szczecin winter make osteoarthritis worse?

The climate does not cause cartilage wear, but winter conditions are noticeable in the city. Humidity peaks in November (89.1%) and December (89.0%), January's mean maximum is 3.0 °C, and sunshine falls to 42.7 hours in January. Many patients with osteoarthritis feel stiffness after rest more in cold, damp months, and less outdoor movement can add to it. The doctor will look at the stage of your joint on the scans and explain what is cartilage wear and what is a flare-up with swelling.

Can I arrange the treatment in a quieter season of the year?

Yes, the timing is flexible. The procedure is done in one day. Afterwards the joint may ache a little more for about a week, the pain usually eases by about one month, mobility improves at about three months, and the full effect develops at about six months. Some patients prefer to start in autumn or winter so that the improving months fall in spring. A cold, flu or raised temperature postpones the procedure, so tell the coordinator if you are unwell.

I am overweight. Does this rule out treatment?

No. Excess weight is not listed among the reasons the treatment is unsuitable. It is one of the factors that influence how long the effect lasts, together with the stage of the condition and your activity. NIK data for Zachodniopomorskie give 392 thousand adults with obesity (28.9%), so this is a common situation in the region. The doctor will take your weight into account when proposing a plan. Controlling weight and regular exercise make a real difference to the disease alongside any injection.

Is this treatment covered by NFZ health insurance?

NFZ finances only services listed in its catalogues of publicly funded services, and within that range treatment is in most cases free for the insured patient. The online consultation and the review of your scans are free of charge. The cost of PRP or SVF therapy is quoted by the doctor after the consultation, because it depends on the joint, the method and the stage. For questions about public financing of a specific service, ask your insurer or the provider where you hold a referral.

Will an online review affect my place on an NFZ waiting list?

No. The review of your scans is separate from the public system. The NFZ rule is that a patient may be entered on a waiting list with only one provider for a given service, and the original referral must be delivered within 14 working days. An online opinion does not enter you on any list or cancel an existing place. A Ministry of Health reply of August 2025 gave average waits for hip replacement of 172 days (2024) and for knee replacement of 214 days.

I play sport near the water or run the city marathon. Can I continue?

Suitable activity is encouraged. Swimming, water aerobics, cycling, Nordic walking and yoga build the muscles that unload the joint. The service text advises avoiding running on hard surfaces, jumping, heavy lifting and sudden movements. If you train for the August marathon or play tennis in September, tell the doctor, because high load on the joints is one of the reasons the treatment may be considered. The doctor will advise how to return to activity after the procedure.

Which scans should I send from Szczecin before the consultation?

Any X-ray, MRI or ultrasound you already have, together with blood test results if available. An X-ray shows the stage, MRI shows cartilage and soft tissues, and ultrasound shows inflammation and fluid in the joint. Send them to the coordinator on WhatsApp or Telegram, and the doctor reviews them free of charge before the online consultation. No new tests are needed before the first review.

Are messages answered on Polish public holidays?

Yes. Poland has 14 public non-working days, including 1 January, 6 January, Easter Monday, 1 May, 3 May, 1 November, 11 November and 24 to 26 December, but coordinators answer 24/7 on WhatsApp and Telegram. You can send scans and questions on any of those days. Booking of the consultation itself is arranged with the coordinator at a time that suits you.