Knee Surgery in Germany

PD Dr. med. habil. Bastian Marquaß, specialist for orthopaedics, trauma surgery and sports medicine

PD Dr. med. habil. Marquaß is a specialist for orthopaedics and trauma surgery, speciality trauma surgery and sports medicine at the Gelenk-Klinik Gundelfingen orthopaedic centre. In the area of surgery PD Dr. med. habil. Marquaß is specialised in knee surgery, shoulder surgery and elbow surgery.

He is a fellow of the committee for cartilage therapy and meniscus procedures at the Society for Arthroscopy and Joint Surgery (AGA).

Since 2014, PD. Dr. med. habil. Marquaß has been a don for orthopaedics and trauma surgery at the University of Leipzig.

The focus of scientific research of PD. Dr. med. habil. Marquaß is treating cartilage defects.

Dr. med Peter Baum, Founder of Gelenk Klinik, Orthopaedic Specialist, Consultant for Orthopaedic Knee Surgery

• Founder of the Gelenk Klinik Orthopaedic Hospital
• Orthopaedic Specialist since 1990
• Expert Consultant for Arthroscopic knee surgery, Knee Replacement Surgery, Meniscus Repair, Unicompartmental Knee Replacement (Repicci), Cartilage Replacement, Anterior Cruciate Ligaments Reconstruction
• Languages: English, French, German

Prof. Dr. med Sven Ostermeier, Orthopaedic Specialist, Senior Consultant for Orthopaedic Shoulder and Knee Surgery

• Senior Orthopaedic Consultant
• Orthopaedic Specialist since 2007
• Professor university Hanover since 2013
• Assistant Professor since 2008
• Dissertation and medical PHD since 2001
• Major contributor to medical research on knee surgery, particularly patella disorders
• Expert Consultant and academic teacher for Arthroscopic knee surgery, Knee Replacement Surgery, Meniscus Repair, Unicompartmental Knee Replacement (Repicci), Cartilage Replacement, Anterior Cruciate Ligaments Reconstruction, Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery, Shoulder Prosthetics
• Languages: English, French, German

Knee specialist approach to knee investigation ©Fotolia.com

The most suitable treatment for you will depend not only on the stability of your knee, but also on your age and your general medical condition. What is required by a knee specialist to diagnose your knee condition?

Specialist approach to osteoarthritis of the knee © Viewmedica

Treatment for knee osteoarthritis aims primarily to alleviate the pain it causes, reduce any associated inflammation, maintain patient mobility, minimize disabilities and improve the patient's long term quality of life.

Arthroscopic knee surgery is a joint preserving therapy ©Viewmedica

Arthroscopic surgery (key hole surgery of the knee) involves a minimally invasive technique usually done as day case surgery and is conducive to a remarkably quick recovery.

©Viewmedica

The path to osteoarthritis is reversible

Patients benefitting from the regeneration of their cartilage with autologous cartilage transplantation, can enjoy something that no generation before them was able to experience: enhanced agility, flexibility and overall knee performance.

Knee specialist approach to the reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ©Viewmedica

The anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) at the front and back of the knee, are the central pillars of the joint and as such, the essential stabilisers. They connect the front top of the tibia (lower leg bone), to the rear bottom of the femur (thigh bone). A rupture of one of the ligaments causes instability, which if not treated, leads to considerable attritional damage to the cartilage in the knee joint (arthrosis). Clinical and experimental examinations have proven that a damaged frontal cruciate knee ligament will not heal by itself.

Partial Knee Prosthesis ©Viewmedica

In many cases where a cartilage transplant is not possible (older patients or those with more extensive cartilage damage), most of the natural knee can be saved by using partial prosthesis (also called an inlay or unilateral knee endoprosthesis).

Knee specialist approach to total knee replacement ©Viewmedica

Total knee replacement (endoprothesis)

If a partial knee replacement is no longer possible (the damage to the joint surface is too great), the knee joint surface is replaced completely with "artificial knee joint". This means that the worn ends of the bones are replaced with metal and plastic parts.

With a total knee replacement, the choice of method used to connect the upper and lower leg components, is most important. There are two prosthesis options for this, "fixed bearing" and "mobile bearing". The mobile bearing prosthesis uses a moving "meniscus" disc, more closely resembling the natural structure of the knee.

Knee specialists approach to osteoarthritis of the knee ©Viewmedica

Knee pain may be due to Patella Tacking Disorder (PTD). The patella syndrome may be caused by a problem with the bones, muscles or ligaments which support the patella (knee cap), helping it to remain in the correct place.

Knee experts approach to arthroscopic menisc repair ©Viewmedica

The Role of the Meniscus in the knee joint

Located in the space between the distal femur and the tibial plateau, the elastic crescent-shaped menisci (the medial meniscus and the lateral meniscus) play a number of important roles in the proper functioning of the knee. Their remarkable physical properties enable them to function as shock absorbers between the weight bearing surfaces of the knee and distribute compressive forces from the femur more evenly across the tibial plateau.

Knee realigment can prevent osteoarthritis of the knee ©Viewmedica

Tibial Osteotomy with Open Wedge

This surgical procedure is used in cases where osteoarthritis has affected only one side of the knee joint. The tibia is cut and re aligned so that pressure is shifted from the damaged side of the joint to the healthier side.

An in patient stay of two nights is normally required.