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Knee Osteoarthritis Treatment in Wuppertal

SVF cell therapy and PRP for knee, hip and other joints affected by arthrosis. A free review of your X-rays or MRI to check 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)?

With osteoarthritis (arthrosis), the cartilage that lines a joint gradually wears away over time. This cartilage is the joint's shock absorber, and when it is lost the bones rub against each other, causing pain, stiffness and limited mobility. The condition is degenerative, not inflammatory, although it can flare up with swelling.

  • 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 decides whether the treatment suits you after examining you and reviewing 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: fever, a cold or flu, 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

An examination of the joint and a review of your X-rays, MRI or ultrasound let the doctor decide if the procedure is suitable. Existing scans can be sent in advance of 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

Roughly 30 ml of adipose tissue is taken through a puncture on the inner thigh or abdomen under local anaesthetic. No stitches are needed.

Processing in a centrifuge4

Processing in a centrifuge

The sample is centrifuged so that it splits into layers. The stromal vascular fraction is then isolated and mixed with platelet-rich plasma.

Injection into the joint5

Injection into the joint

Under ultrasound guidance the prepared material is injected straight into the affected joint, which helps to place it precisely.

Follow-up6

Follow-up

There is no hospital stay and you will not need crutches. The doctor remains in contact after the procedure and follows 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

Your own blood and adipose tissue are the only materials used — nothing donor or synthetic

Cell therapy (SVF) from your own adipose tissue

From a small sample of your adipose tissue, the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) is isolated — a set of cells involved in repairing tissue. Mixed with your own plasma, it is then injected into the joint that is affected.

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

Large and small joints alike. The joint, the technique and the number of injections are chosen by the doctor based on your scans

  • KneeKneeCartilage wearing down, meniscus problems, pain on stairs and after a walk
  • HipHipEarly hip osteoarthritis, groin pain, limited rotation
  • ShoulderShoulderWear of the joint and the tendons around it, painful arm raising
  • ElbowElbowPain linked to overuse or sports strain and worn joint surfaces
  • Hand and wrist jointsHand and wrist jointsPain with stiffness in the small joints of fingers and wrist
  • AnkleAnklePain and stiffness after sprains and old injuries

Advantages

Why patients choose City Medical Centre

We aim to preserve your own joint rather than replace it, with treatment that avoids surgery

Your own tissue

Your own tissue

Your own blood and adipose tissue are the only materials used — nothing donor or synthetic

No crutches

No crutches

Done through punctures under local anaesthetic, without incisions or long rehabilitation

Second opinion

Second opinion

Send your reports, X-rays or MRI, and a doctor will independently assess them free of charge

Support after the procedure

Support after the procedure

Our care goes beyond the day of the injection: we keep in touch and follow the result

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

Choosing osteoarthritis treatment in Wuppertal

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

PRP is often used for mild osteoarthritis, and SVF with PRP when a stronger effect is needed. The method and the number of injections are chosen for each patient in Wuppertal after the examination.

The cost of osteoarthritis treatment depends on the joint, the stage and the method, so the price is set at the consultation. For patients from Wuppertal, the first consultation and review of your scans are free. Leave your name and phone number to book.

Steep valley, stiff joints: what the terrain of Wuppertal asks of cartilage

Wuppertal sits in the Wupper valley in the Bergisches Land. The river winds about 20 km through the city area, and the ground rises from the lowest point at Müngsten, 101 m above sea level, to Lichtscheid at 350 m. That is a spread of roughly 250 m within one city boundary, with the south-eastern part belonging to the Bergische Hochflächen. For a person with a worn knee, numbers like these matter. Cartilage thins slowly, and the first thing most people notice is not a dramatic event but a repeated signal: pain on stairs, or after walking for a while.

Knees and hips are affected most often in osteoarthritis because they carry the greatest load. Healthy cartilage softens impact. When it thins, the bone ends rub, and the joint hurts, stiffens and moves less. This is a degenerative condition rather than an inflammatory one, although flare-ups with swelling do happen. A city built on slopes does not cause osteoarthritis, but it is a fair prompt to notice what your own joints tell you on an incline.

The Schwebebahn, the suspension railway that has run since 1901 with its tracks 8 m above the streets and 12 m above the Wupper, is a useful reminder that this is a city shaped by its valley. If you live here and you have pain in a knee, a hip, an ankle or the small joints of the hand, the practical question is the same as anywhere: at what stage is the joint, and what can be done before it is badly worn? Treatment based on your own blood and adipose tissue, which is what we offer, is considered mainly at an early or moderate stage. A doctor reviews your X-ray, MRI or ultrasound online, free of charge, and tells you frankly whether that stage fits.

Dark Januarys, damp Novembers and the stiffness that follows rest

The climate data for Wuppertal (DWD, 2015–2020) show a mean of 3.1 °C in January, the coldest month, against 18.7 °C in July. The annual mean is 10.8 °C. Precipitation is generous: 1,025 mm a year in that table, with January the wettest at 125 mm, followed by December at 113 mm and November at 105 mm. April and May are the driest months at 50 mm and 53 mm. The article's text also gives longer-term values of 1,116 mm in the valley and 1,183 mm on the heights.

Light changes as well. Sunshine averages 4.3 hours a day over the year, but only 1.5 hours in December and 1.9 hours in January, against 6.6 hours in June and 6.5 hours in July. None of this proves that cold weather worsens cartilage wear, and we will not claim it. What we can say is what the condition looks like: osteoarthritis typically brings aching pain on movement, crunching, and stiffness after rest. Short, dark, wet days mean that rest periods tend to lengthen and outdoor movement tends to shrink, so a winter is a sensible time to take stock and to build a plan.

There is also a practical point about timing. A raised temperature, a cold or flu, and inflamed skin above the target joint are temporary contraindications to the procedure. In the cold months, an infection can therefore postpone treatment by a short time. This is not a reason to wait with the consultation. The review of your scans and the planning are done online, and your coordinator can arrange the plan so that it is ready when you are well.

Joint pain that eases and returns can be tempting to ignore. If painkillers only help for a short time, that is one of the signs the doctor looks at when deciding whether a different approach is worth discussing.

Weight, work, cycling: the loads you can still adjust

The outcome of treatment depends on the stage of the condition, body weight, activity and other factors, and nobody can promise a fixed result. The first two are partly in your hands. Measured data from the DEGS survey of 2008/11 found obesity (BMI 30 and above) in 23.3% of men and 23.9% of women in Germany. Self-reported survey figures were lower, at 15.7% of men and 13.8% of women in the 2009 Mikrozensus. The article notes that surveys give lower values than measurements. Either way, body weight is a common companion of knee and hip wear, and every joint that carries it feels the difference.

Work and sport add their own load. High load on the joints, whether from sport or physical work, is one of the situations in which our doctors consider the treatment, as is recovery after injuries and surgery. Wuppertal has a 22 km cycle route across the city, the Nordbahntrasse, and cycling is on the list of activities that suit an osteoarthritic joint, together with swimming, water aerobics, Nordic walking and yoga. The advice is to avoid running on hard surfaces, jumping, heavy lifting and sudden movements. Suitable activity builds the muscles that unload the joint and feeds the cartilage better.

Exercise is not an alternative to treatment, and treatment is not an alternative to exercise. SVF and PRP injections are meant to ease pain and support the cartilage, and the doctor may combine them with exercise therapy and physiotherapy. Controlling weight, staying active and working with a doctor make a real difference to how the condition progresses. Early diagnosis is the other piece. An untreated joint usually gets worse: pain turns constant, movement is increasingly limited, the joint can deform, and walking may become difficult.

Five million with arthrosis: where injections sit next to a joint replacement

About five million people in Germany have osteoarthritis, and about 400,000 hip and knee joint replacement operations were performed in 2016. These are large numbers, and they show that joint replacement is a well-established route. We do not argue against it. In our own service text, replacement is described as the option for when the joint is already destroyed, and the doctor will tell you honestly if it is more realistic for you, for example in advanced coxarthrosis.

The difference lies in timing and in what you go through. After an uncomplicated hip replacement, the inpatient stay lasts about six to eight days in most clinics, and follow-up rehabilitation is arranged during the stay. Treatment with SVF and PRP involves a blood sample, a small sample of adipose tissue (roughly 30 ml, under local anaesthetic, from the abdomen or the inner thigh, without stitches), processing in a centrifuge, and an ultrasound-guided injection into the joint. There are no crutches and no hospital stay. The whole procedure is done in one day.

After the procedure, the joint may ache a little more for about a week, which is an expected reaction. After about a month the pain usually eases, around three months mobility and activity improve, and around six months the full effect develops. How long it lasts differs from person to person, from several months to several years. Osteoarthritis is chronic, so it calls for an ongoing plan rather than a single injection. For avascular necrosis, SVF may be considered at stages 1–2 to support blood supply to the femoral head and delay a replacement; at later stages surgery is usually required.

Insurance, and getting your scans ready from Wuppertal

About 92% of the German population is covered by statutory health insurance. As of 2024, around 88% of the working population is insured through statutory funds and about 11% privately. Whether a particular insurer reimburses an injection treatment is a question for that insurer and depends on your policy, so we do not make promises about it. What we can say is how our side works. The consultation and the review of your scans are free, the cost is quoted by the doctor after the consultation, and it depends on the joint, the method and the stage of osteoarthritis. PRP therapy and cell therapy (SVF + PRP) for one joint are priced at the consultation.

To make that consultation useful, gather what you already have. An X-ray remains the main method and shows the stage, while 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. If you have these from a local examination, send them as they are by WhatsApp or Telegram. Coordinators reply round the clock, usually within 15 minutes, and will ask for anything that is missing.

The doctor looks at the stage, whether the picture points to arthrosis or to an inflammatory condition, and which joint, method and number of injections make sense. Cancer, pregnancy, blood clotting disorders, acute infection in or near the joint, and a flare-up of a serious chronic illness mean the treatment is not suitable. You can also use the review only as a second opinion, with no obligation to book anything.

Does the cold, wet season in Wuppertal change when I should start planning treatment?

The consultation and scan review are done online, so the season does not hold up the first step. January averages 3.1 °C and is the wettest month at 125 mm, with only about 1.9 hours of sunshine a day, and colds are more common in such months. A raised temperature, a cold or flu, or inflamed skin over the joint are temporary contraindications, so the doctor may move the procedure date, but the planning can start earlier.

I live on one of the hills and climb stairs every day. Does that matter for my knee?

The city ranges from 101 m to 350 m above sea level, so slopes are part of daily life here. The doctor will ask about pain on stairs or after walking because it helps to judge how the cartilage and meniscus are coping. It is a symptom to describe, not a verdict. The stage seen on your X-ray or MRI is what guides the decision about treatment.

Can I keep cycling on the Nordbahntrasse with osteoarthritis?

Cycling is one of the activities that suit an osteoarthritic joint, along with swimming, water aerobics, Nordic walking and yoga. The advice is to avoid running on hard surfaces, jumping, heavy lifting and sudden movements. How much and how often is something to agree with the doctor, who sees your scans and knows the stage of the joint.

Will statutory health insurance in Germany pay for SVF or PRP injections?

We cannot promise that, and we do not want to guess about your policy. Around 92% of residents are in the statutory system and the rest mostly in private cover, with different rules for each insurer. Ask your insurer directly. Our side is clear: the consultation is free, and the doctor quotes the cost after reviewing your scans, based on the joint, the method and the stage.

With so many joint replacements done in Germany, why would I consider injections first?

About 400,000 hip and knee replacements were performed in 2016, and for a destroyed joint that route is realistic. Injections are considered earlier, at an early or moderate stage, when the aim is to ease pain, support the cartilage and perhaps postpone a replacement. There is no hospital stay, whereas an uncomplicated hip replacement means about six to eight days as an inpatient. The doctor tells you honestly which side your scans fall on.

Does body weight affect whether treatment works for me?

Yes. The duration of the effect depends on the stage, body weight, activity and other factors, and no one can promise a fixed result. In Germany, measured data show obesity in roughly a quarter of adults, so the question is common. Controlling weight, steady exercise and cooperation with a doctor make a real difference to how the condition develops, whatever treatment is chosen.

I have X-rays and MRI reports from a local examination. What should I send?

Send everything you have, X-ray, MRI, ultrasound and any blood test results, as they are, by WhatsApp or Telegram. Coordinators answer round the clock. The doctor reviews them free of charge, assesses the stage and, where appropriate, proposes a non-surgical plan. If something is missing, the coordinator will tell you what to add.

How soon after the procedure would I notice a change?

In the first week the joint may ache a little more, which is expected. Many patients notice early changes after 2–3 weeks, the pain usually eases by about a month, mobility and activity improve around three months, and the full effect develops around six months. It differs from person to person, and the doctor confirms the expected timing at the consultation.