I’m an active, cheerful woman, and I love the great outdoors and especially in the mountains; however, I experienced a painful loss of opportunities at 69. A painful left knee hampered my freedom just walking along Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse. I’d never have thought it possible – my get-up-and-go and enthusiasm for mountaineering, skiing and snowshoeing with my mountain friends stymied by massive joint problems in my left knee.

My daughter, who works in the medicine, knew Dr. Schnorr personally and was familiar with his new treatment options, so I went to him with my knee problems in the summer of 2014 for an assessment and advice on treatment. After a thorough initial examination including ultrasound diagnostics, MRI revealed the onset of osteoarthritis in the knee – grade 2-3 out of 4, left knee, meniscus injury and cyst formation with fluid accumulation in the menisci and joint. We discussed various forms of treatment in a detailed consultation. Dr. Schnorr recommended intraarticular PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy.

I began my PRP therapy in August 2014. This began with two appointments planned seven to ten days apart. Even after the first injection my left knee was free of pain, so I was eager to take the second infiltration that would keep my knee resilient enough to stand up to the intensive physical activity I had planned. Three weeks after the infiltration sessions, I went back to Dr. Schnorr, my left knee free of symptoms and pain.

Leaving Bahnhofstrasse behind, I returned to my beloved mountains and the joy of being able to guide my mountain friends through this diverse landscape paradise, especially in the Valais region.

I went to Dr. Schnorr’s office again in May 2015. My left leg got stuck in heavy wet snow as I was skiing downwards during a skiing trip that January, and in May I also stumbled and fell onto my knee. I could no longer move it properly. Dr. Schnorr carried out a meniscus test that turned out positive, and we arranged a follow-up appointment for an MRI examination. MRI showed a bone bruise, which was the obvious reason for my painful knee. We opted to try regenerative drugs first and then play it by ear.

The inside of my knee was still painful after a month. Based on the clinical findings, Dr. Schnorr advised me to take ultrasound-controlled PRP infiltration again on the medial cruciate ligament (MCL) and meniscus. I still felt residual turning pain at around fifteen percent after six weeks. Dr. Schnorr agreed that I could test my knee on mountain hikes.

I managed full tours of up to ten hours with hardly any symptoms. Even so, I now felt slight discomfort at the back of my left knee. Ultrasound showed a ganglion cyst, which was infiltrated using a small dose of local anaesthetic at consultation. This alleviated the pain, a positive result that led to a differential diagnosis indicating PRP application to the ganglion cyst; this took place in September 2015.

I was completely symptom-free after that, and my knee returned to its full resilience.

I’ve decided not to go on any more skiing trips. After further consultation and treatment with Dr. Schnorr for other injuries such as the shoulder that he also successfully treated, I have often been on high mountain tours, snowshoe hikes and climbing trips, and I am glad to be able to enjoy life again with my freedom restored after almost six years.

Comment from Dr. Schnorr: And I look forward to beautiful pictures from high mountain regions that come almost weekly. Thank you so much for keeping me in on your fabulous adventures.