Orthopaedics in Munich

Modern orthopaedics in the German-speaking countries was born in Munich. In 1907 Professor Fritz Lange held the first orthopaedics chair after orthopaedics had been spun off from surgery in Munich. His and his students’ surgical aptitude and skills have crucially shaped orthopaedics during the last 100 years. The influence exerted by this great school of orthopaedic specialists in Munich helped the city evolve into an internationally recognized centre of orthopaedics as early as the last century. In the meantime, a large number of highly competent orthopaedic clinics have been established whose clinical and scientific expertise is world-class.

Their offering includes every modern conservative and surgical therapy from the entire field of orthopaedics and trauma surgery, administered at the highest international standard. In every area, professionals strive constantly to improve patient outcomes by using innovative, tissue-conserving and quality-optimizing methods. Close collaboration with local medical equipment manufacturers (Siemens, Brainlab, etc.) enables physicians to use state-of-the-art medical technology in diagnostics and therapy long before it becomes available at other hospital locations.

Surgical procedures largely use minimally invasive techniques or arthroscopic techniques. Thus, the bulk of artificial hip joints (hipendoprotheses) and some kneeendoprotheses are implanted using tissue-conserving and minimally invasive procedures, causing minimal pain. Most reconstructive surgery on the shoulder, knee and ankle joints (shoulder rotator cuff or instability problems, knee cruciate ligament, cartilage and meniscus surgery, ankle cartilage surgery) are performed arthroscopically and at least to some extent as outpatient procedures. Naturally, this requires the presence of highly-qualified specialists with the appropriate technical equipment. In addition to highly specialized equipment for surgery, diagnostics also requires equipment that is just as innovative. Availability of state-of-the-art technology (64-slice CT, high-resolution MRT, PET CT, high-resolution sonography) allows for optimal diagnosis and preparation for surgery while keeping exposure to radiation as low as possible.

Several large hospitals house orthopaedic departments that provide treatment in the following disciplines at the highest level:

Endoprothetics

Artificial joints to replace any major joint (hip, knee, shoulder, elbow, ankle)
Minimally invasive procedures whenever possible, using computer navigation

Joint-Conserving Orthopaedics

Arthroscopic joint procedures and corrective osteotomy performed on every major joint in the early stages of arthrosis to avoid artificial joints

Shoulder Orthopaedics

Treatment of any shoulder and shoulder-girdle disease, injury, and injury-induced conditions. Minimally invasive arthroscopic techniques used whenever possible. A worldwide leader in shoulder endoprothetics.

Sports Orthopaedics

Treatment of any sports injury or injury-induced condition (capsule-ligament injuries, tendon and muscle injuries, injury due to excessive strain) affecting the musculoskeletal system. Specialised centres with long years of experience in treating top athletes in any sport. Medical supervision of internationally renowned teams and national teams.

Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery

Treatment of any injury and injury-induced condition including polytrauma, multiple and spinal cord injuries, in some cases using specific trauma centres. Application of state-of-the-art osteosynthesis techniques using state-of-the-art intraoperative diagnostics (3D image converters, intraoperative CT, etc.)

Spinal Orthopaedics

Treatment of any disease, injury, or injury-induced condition of the entire spinal column. Extended corrective surgery for spinal deformities. Specific treatment of degenerative diseases using minimally invasive decompressing or stabilising procedures. Microsurgical inter-vertebral surgery and inter-vertebral disk prothesis surgery.

Foot Orthopaedics

(Conservative and surgical) treatment of any disease, deformation, injury, and injury-induced condition of the ankle, hind-foot, and forefoot.

Tumour Orthopaedics

Orthopaedic-surgical treatment of any primary and secondary tumour of the musculoskeletal system and supporting tissue in cooperation with specialized oncological and radiation therapy departments, with the objective of extremity-conserving treatment using multi-modal therapeutic approaches and custom-made protheses. Interdisciplinary Munich Tumour Centre tumour boards.

Children’s Orthopaedics

Treatment of any children’s congenital and acquired disease of the musculoskeletal system and supporting tissue including polio-induced conditions.

Rheumatic Orthopaedics

Joint-conserving and joint-replacing therapy for any inflammatory arthropathy and collagenosis. Interdisciplinary development of long-term therapeutic plans in collaboration with specialised departments of internal medicine / rheumatology.

Neuro-Orthopaedics (“Spastic Disease Centre”)

Conservative and surgical treatment of neuro-orthopaedic disease patterns at a specific centre in interdisciplinary collaboration with neurologists, physiotherapists, orthopaedic technicians, etc.

Reconstructive Orthopaedics

Reconstruction of extremity defects including extremity extension in collaboration with plastic-reconstructive departments.

Close collaboration with hospital and local orthopaedic technicians allows for optimal availability of orthopaedic technology to support conservative therapy or post-operative rehabilitation. Rehabilitation departments integrated into large hospitals, a large number of rehabilitation clinics in the vicinity of Munich, and outpatient rehabilitation centres as well as outpatient physiotherapy and ergotherapy practices allow for optimal disease-specific conservative therapy and post-surgical treatment.