Overview of services offered in Trauma Surgery

Occupational Accidents

All patients who have suffered an accident at work need to be examined by an accident insurance consultant, who decides which physician is to continue their treatment. Prof. Dr. Konrad is licensed to treat all occupational accidents, including severe injuries listed in the Register of Occupational Injuries.

An outpatient clinic admitted by the Employers’ Liability Insurance Association is available. It is open from Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Emergencies are treated around the clock at the Central Emergency Outpatient Clinic.


Treatment of bone fractures in the entire skeleton

Whether they are caused by sports accidents or by adverse weather conditions, bone fractures occur on a daily basis. The Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery provides care for the full range of fractures, including pelvic and spinal injuries, using state-of-the-art osteosynthesis techniques.

Bone fractures are stabilized using implants of the latest generation, such as fixed-angle plates, intramedullary screws and spine stabilization systems. This can often be done using minimally invasive surgical access which requires only minor incisions, thus sparing tissue and leaving only small scars.


Replacement of large joints

In the event of joint disease, the first step is to ascertain whether the joint can be preserved. If joint damage is too severe, however, such a treatment is no longer reasonable. In this case, joint replacement surgery might be necessary. Joint replacement involves the removal of the destroyed joint portions and their replacement by artificial joint implants.

Depending on the patient’s age and degree of physical activity, various artificial joint models are used. Any malposition can be corrected during the same procedure. Minimally invasive procedures are used for both hip replacement and partial knee joint replacement. Computer-assisted navigation is an integral part of artificial joint implantation, and the materials used comply with the highest standards.


Diseases of the shoulder joint

Shoulder surgery is another special discipline of the department. Diseases of the shoulder joint, for example existing restrictions in the shoulder joint (impingement syndrome) or shoulder dislocations and cracks in the epicranial aponeurosis of the humeral head, referred to as rotator cuff, are usually treated by means of arthroscopic surgery.

Inflammatory alterations beneath the acromion and worn acromioclavicular joints, which are the most common causes of the development of such cracks, are remedied in the same procedure. In the event of pronounced arthrosis of the shoulder joint, various replacement techniques ranging from condyle replacement to what is referred to as “reverse shoulder replacement” are applied as demanded by the extent of damage.


Diseases of the hip joint

A fracture of the femoral neck frequently gives rise to hip problems. Depending on the patient’s age, the joint can either be stabilized with screws or treated by implanting an artificial joint. If the hip joint is largely destroyed due to wear, preserving the joint is no longer reasonable. Depending on the patient’s age, bone situation and degree of physical activity, various replacement techniques, such as cementless or cemented prostheses, are used.


Diseases of the knee joint

Diseases affecting the knees can be treated in many different ways. Arthroscopic surgery allows for sparing treatment of cartilage, meniscus and cruciate ligament damage. Whenever possible, the meniscus of younger patients is repaired with sutures at the Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, while existing injuries of cruciate ligaments are treated using a corresponding graft. If the internal or external joint section is affected, changing the alignment of the leg can relieve the load on this section and thereby reduce knee pain.

By contrast, partial joint replacement constitutes an alternative treatment method. When implanted correctly, the prosthesis can reach a service life of more than 15 years. Again, the implantation of a total artificial knee joint is reasonable in the event of considerable wear. Depending on the patient’s age, bone situation, axial malposition and degree of physical activity, various replacement techniques, such as surface replacement or axis-guided prostheses, are employed. The artificial joints are implanted using advanced computer-assisted navigation techniques.


Diseases of the ankle joint

Diseases of the ankle joint are often caused by sports injuries. Pulled or torn ligaments of the ankle joint can usually be treated conservatively, i.e. without surgery, via application of a splint. In the event of deformities, loose bodies or cartilage damage, however, arthroscopic surgery represents a sparing treatment option, while also allowing the surgeon to perform microfracturing for cartilage replacement or to drill a hole, for example in the knee joint. In rare cases, pronounced joint damage necessitates arthrodesis or implantation of artificial joints.


Hand surgery

Hand surgery is designed to treat injuries of bones, joints, tendons, blood vessels and nerves.If required, a surgical microscope is utilized. Follow-up treatment often involves the application of special splints, which are adapted individually on site in cooperation with medical supplies stores. Degenerative diseases, such as arthrosis of finger joints and the carpus, nerve compression syndromes, such as carpal tunnel syndrome or trigger fingers caused by constrictions of the anular ligaments, as well as contractions in the palmar fascia (Dupuytren’s contracture) are also corrected surgically.


Foot surgery

This also applies to foot surgery. Alongside the treatment of complicated fractures of the talus, calcaneus and tarsus, degenerative changes and resulting malpositions of the toes, e.g. bunions, hammer toes or excessive callus formation, are treated. In certain cases chronic arthrosis pain is permanently eliminated via arthrodesis.


Arthroscopy (visualization of joints)

Arthroscopy involves the assessment of the joint’s interior using a thin camera. At the same time, harmful changes can be treated surgically via tiny skin incisions using special, thin instruments in a very sparing and precise manner.

Aside from degenerative diseases, this procedure is particularly used for the treatment of sports injuries such as meniscus or cartilage damage, torn cruciate ligaments, loose bodies and other consequences of injuries or wear.


Injuries of the spine

In addition to the conservative treatment of vertebral fractures, there are various methods for the surgical treatment of fractures. Orthosis and stabilization with bone cement (kyphoplasty) is very well suited for the minimally invasive treatment of osteoporotic vertebral fractures.

Unstable fractures frequently require complex surgery. In this case, what is referred to as an “internal fixator” or additional partial replacement of the fractured vertebral body is used. Again, minimally invasive techniques are employed to implant the “internal fixator” or the vertebral body replacement.


Pediatric traumatology

Pediatric traumatology is understood to be the treatment of bone, joint, muscle and tendon injuries in children. Injuries during childhood are special, since they occur in a growing organism. For this reason, the treatment of bone fractures and joint dislocations in childhood requires special expertise that takes the special characteristics of the growing skeleton into consideration.

The compensatory and repair mechanisms of children differ from those in adults. Efficient treatment of bone fractures in children must always involve the consideration of corrective mechanisms in the growing skeleton according to age.

Klinikum Erding offers the full range of pediatric traumatology services; besides conservative treatment methods using cast immobilisation, Klinikum Erding employs in particular minimally invasive surgical techniques appropriate for children by means of transfixion wires or internal splints.