New developments with conrtributions of the Orthopaedic Hospital Vienna-SpeisingFitbone: Probe therapy to treat sacroiliac pain: Sacroiliac pain radiating from the iliosacral joint (joint between sacral and ilium bone) can be treated by a new therapy using a heat probe that has been implemented for the first time in Austria at the Orthopaedic Hospital Vienna-Speising. Several nerve pathway endings are atrophied to suppress the forwarding of pain signals.
For the first time in Austria, revision surgery was directed by computer navigation at the Orthopaedic Hospital Vienna-Speising in 2008. Revision surgery is repeated surgery (e.g., knee and hip implantations) that might become necessary if implants are showing signs of wear. Revision surgery is very complex and could not previously be navigated.
The Orthopaedic Hospital Vienna-Speising is a forerunner in addressing the problem of the female knee joint. Ours was the first hospital in Austria to implant a so-called “gender knee” after gathering information at international congresses and visiting several special clinics. The reason for the gender-specific knee joint is recognition of anatomic differences between men and women that can be treated better by additional implant variants. Our results with these modified implants have been excellent to date.
The 1st Department of Orthopaedics has further developed a tried and tested implant in collaboration with industry. The implant is used to correct hallux rigidus (partial stiffening of the big toe basic joint). A patient with hallux rigidus feels pain while unrolling the foot, and load-carrying ability is significantly reduced. The disease is found more often in men than in women. With the new implant, the joint surface of the proximal phalanx is covered by a thin concavely curved metal plate with bone resection reduced to the minimum. The armamentarium has been standardised so that markedly more precise implant techniques can be used in a much shorter surgery time. Surgery is performed with the patient under local anaesthesia and takes approximately 30 minutes. After surgery, the patient should be able to move the toe at least 60 degrees toward the dorsum of the foot.
We have been very successful in the medical field of artificial hip joint replacement. In collaboration with a renowned Swiss company, Prof. Dr. Karl Knahr developed an artificial hip joint that meets the state-of-the-art technical and functional requirements and is currently used as a standard implant by many orthopaedists. At the 2nd Department of Orthopaedics, more than 2.500 patients have been provided with this modern artificial joint to date.
As recently as a few years ago, patients suffering from sacroiliac pain caused by attrition of the intervertebral discs were treated most often by stiffening the affected section of the spine, and mobility was consequently reduced. Thanks to the development of the intervertebral disc prosthesis, mobility of the vertebral bodies can be conserved in a natural way and patients become free from pain in a short time. At the Orthopaedic Hospital Vienna-Speising, the new intervertebral disc prosthesis has been applied for the past 3 years. It is implanted by the spine specialists under the leadership of Associate Prof. Dr. Michael Ogon. Each patient undergoes radiography and magnetic resonance tomography to determine whether implantation is indicated.
Many new developments have enhanced spine surgery in recent years. Our 3rd Department of Orthopaedics under the leadership of Associate Prof. Dr. Michael Ogon is leading in this field. One of the new developments is the intracept method, which can reduce sacroiliac pain. A probe is applied into the affected vertebral body, and a central nerve is switched off by heat development. This method is still being tested.
For the first time in Austria, physicians from Orthopaedic Hospital Vienna-Speising implanted a knee joint prosthesis by minimally invasive and computer-navigated surgery in the summer of 2005. Senior physician Dr. Thomas Motycka at the 1st Department of Orthopaedics explains: “Both procedures are not new by themselves, but their combination is a completely new approach with many advantages for the patient. The advantage of minimally invasive surgery is that rehabilitation time is shorter and the cosmetic results more favourable. Higher safety and accuracy are the advantages of computer assistance.”
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