Osteomyelitis diagnosis

About the department

The Department of Orthopedics and Orthopedic Surgery, Foot Surgery at the Helios ENDO-Clinic Hamburg provides the full range of modern services for musculoskeletal disease diagnostics, conservative and surgical treatment. Particular attention is paid to arthroscopic and open interventions on all large and small joints, including the knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, and ankle joints. The department's team of doctors also successfully performs interventions on cartilage tissue, ligament plastic surgery and prosthetic repair, corrective osteotomy, operations to eliminate rheumatic joint lesions, and interventions for foot diseases. In most cases, surgeons use low-traumatic surgical techniques, which contribute to the rapid postoperative recovery. The medical facility offers many conservative treatment methods, such as acupuncture, physiotherapy, chiropractic, infiltration therapy, injection therapy, manual therapy, laser therapy, magnetotherapy, and many others. Conservative therapy can be used as a stand-alone treatment method or in addition to surgery. Each patient receives a carefully developed treatment plan, considering their individual needs and wishes. The Head Physician of the department is PD Dr. med. Carl-Heinz Hartwig.

The department's specialists most often deal with pathological lesions of large joints. At the early stages of the development of joint pathology, the specialists use only conservative treatment methods, but, in the advanced stages, it is often impossible to avoid a surgical intervention. As a rule, the doctors of the medical facility prefer arthroscopic surgery, namely minimally invasive interventions that are performed through a small puncture in the joint area. An optical device (arthroscope) and special miniature instruments are inserted through the puncture. Such an approach avoids extensive soft tissue lesions. Arthroscopic interventions significantly facilitate and accelerate postoperative recovery, as well as reduce the risk of postoperative complications. During arthroscopy, both general and regional anesthesia can be used. In rare cases, local anesthesia can also be used. The operation is followed by an examination aimed at the assessment of the results of the surgical intervention, which is repeated after a week.

The scope of tasks of the department's doctors also includes low-traumatic operations for knee ligament prosthetic repair and plastic surgery, stabilizing joint surgery, cartilage tissue transplantation, corrective osteotomy, and interventions for sports injuries. Patients can count on the most sparing, but, at the same time, highly effective treatment, after which they will be able to quickly get rid of pain and restore their mobility.

The department's therapeutic options are complemented by the treatment of foot diseases, including hallux valgus, hallux rigidus, ankle instability, Achilles tendon rupture, heel spur, metatarsalgia, hammer and claw toe deformities, Morton's neuroma, etc. The treatment of the abovementioned foot pathologies mostly requires surgery, if possible, minimally invasive. However, even in the advanced stages, there is still a chance to get rid of pathological foot changes with the help of conservative treatment methods. For example, the department's specialists successfully use extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) to treat Achilles tendon inflammation (achillodynia) and heel spurs. The main advantage of extracorporeal shock wave therapy is its high efficiency, but the therapeutic procedure eliminates the use of X-rays or drugs. The therapeutic effect is achieved through exposure to high-energy magnetic pulses. The classic course of ESWT therapy consists of 3-6 procedures on average. Most patients experience significant pain relief as early as 8-10 days after the first treatment. Physiotherapy and therapeutic exercises are often prescribed after extracorporeal shock wave therapy.

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

• Diagnostics
  • Digital X-ray scans
  • Ultrasound scans 
  • Pedography (foot pressure measurement)
  • 3D spine analysis
  • Bone mineral density measurement (DXA) 
• Treatment
  • Conservative treatment
    • Acupuncture
    • Chiropractic
    • Intra-articular injections
    • Infiltration therapy
    • Infusions as pain management
    • Manual therapy
    • Nerve root block
    • Neural therapy
    • Physiotherapy
    • Kinesiology taping
    • Laser therapy
    • Magnetotherapy
    • Extracorporeal shock wave therapy
    • Traditional Chinese medicine
    • Trigger point shock wave therapy
  • Surgical treatment
    • Arthroscopic surgery for large and small joints
    • Knee ligament prosthetic repair and plastic surgery
    • Surgery for fractures
    • Surgery for foot diseases (hallux valgus, hallux rigidus, ankle instability, Achilles tendon rupture, etc.)
    • Stabilizing joint surgery
    • Arthrodesis
    • Cartilage tissue and bone surgery, and cartilage tissue transplantation
    • Corrective osteotomy
    • Open surgery on the large and small joints
    • Osteotomy
• Other methods of diagnostics, conservative and surgical treatment of orthopedic diseases