Department of Foot and Ankle Surgery - ATOS Orthoparc Clinic Cologne

About the Department of Foot and Ankle Surgery at ATOS Orthoparc Clinic Cologne

According to the rating of the Focus magazine, the Department of Foot and Ankle Surgery at the ATOS Orthoparc Clinic Cologne is one of the best specialized centers in Germany for the treatment of foot diseases! 

The department provides effective conservative and surgical treatment of the entire spectrum of foot and ankle diseases. The medical facility has an excellent diagnostic base because an accurate examination is the key to successful treatment. The department performs ultrasound scans, magnetic resonance imaging, digital volume tomography, pedography (a method of assessing the distribution of plantar pressure in static and dynamic conditions). The doctors of the medical facility have exceptional qualifications in the field of correction of hallux valgus and hallux rigidus, claw toes, flat feet, and clubfoot. Achilles tendon ruptures, heel spurs, ankle arthrosis, and other pathologies are also successfully treated in the department. Doctors have many conservative treatment methods at their command, including treatment with tapes, bandages, and orthoses, drug therapy, local injection therapy, and medical training therapy. In some clinical cases, surgery may be required for foot pathologies, especially for deformities. The department performs minimally invasive foot and ankle surgery.

The Head Physician of the department is Dr. med. André Morawe. The specialist has over 20 years of successful clinical practice. He has repeatedly completed several internships abroad: in the USA, Italy, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Dr. André Morawe is a member of the German Foot and Ankle Association (DAF) and the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS). He is recognized as one of the best experts in Germany in the field of foot surgery according to the Focus magazine rating!

The department regularly treats patients with hallux valgus, which is a deviation of the first toe toward the outside of the foot. The main manifestation of hallux valgus is the presence of a "bump" at the inner edge of the foot closer to the base of the first toe, which eventually turns into a "bone". In the early stages, hallux valgus is a purely aesthetic problem, but as it progresses it causes severe pain and difficulty in choosing shoes. To establish a diagnosis, a clinical examination is carried out and X-ray and pedography are performed; in complex cases, CT and/or MRI scans may be required. A treatment regimen is prescribed individually, taking into account the stage of the pathology. Whenever possible, the department's specialists use only conservative treatment such as wearing special orthopedic shoes and insoles, therapeutic exercises, physiotherapy procedures, and local blocks with analgesics. When conservative methods are exhausted and the problem is not solved, the patient is recommended for surgical correction. The department successfully performs Reverdin osteotomy, Lapidus arthrodesis, and Akin osteotomy. The optimal surgical technique is determined based on the patient's clinical data.

The specialists of the medical facility are deservedly proud of their excellent results in the treatment of ankle arthrosis. The main manifestations of this pathology are pain and limited mobility in the ankle. The first stage of diagnosis when ankle arthrosis is suspected is a clinical examination with assessment of gait parameters and axial displacement of the lower limbs, followed by pedometry, X-ray scans, and computed tomography. In the early stages of arthrosis, the doctors of the department carry out a comprehensive conservative treatment, combining the wearing of orthopedic insoles, physiotherapy, and local hyaluronic acid injections, in some cases also autologous plasma injections. In the advanced stages of arthrosis, conservative therapy is usually ineffective, so specialists resort to surgery. Depending on the clinical situation, arthroscopy, corrective ankle osteotomy, arthroplasty, or arthrodesis may be performed.

The treatment of Achilles tendon rupture completes the therapeutic offer of the department. This traumatic injury is accompanied by acute pain and swelling directly in the tendon area, as well as limited mobility. The main diagnostic method for confirming an Achilles tendon rupture is the Thompson test; if necessary, an ultrasound scan or X-ray may also be performed. In most cases, immobilization of the foot with a cast, orthosis, or special shoes is sufficient to treat the pathology. In complex situations, minimally invasive tendon suturing is performed.

The department's range of medical services includes the following:

• Diagnostics and correction of hallux valgus
• Diagnostics and correction of hallux rigidus
• Diagnostics and correction of claw toes
• Diagnostics and correction of flat feet
• Diagnostics and correction of clubfoot
• Diagnostics and correction of Haglund's deformity
• Diagnostics and treatment of Achilles tendon ruptures
• Diagnostics and treatment of achillodynia
• Diagnostics and treatment of heel spurs
• Diagnostics and treatment of ankle arthrosis
• Diagnostics and treatment of other foot and ankle diseases