About the Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics, Orthopedic Surgery at University Hospital Giessen UKGM
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics, Orthopedic Surgery at the University Hospital Giessen UKGM offers all the diagnostic and therapeutic options for patients with musculoskeletal diseases. The main clinical tasks of the department include arthroscopic surgery, endoprosthetics, foot surgery, orthopedic rheumatology, sports orthopedics, orthopedic oncology, septic surgery, spinal surgery. The department’s specialists also have excellent qualifications and rich experience in the treatment of children with diseases of the orthopedic spectrum. The doctors of the department have at their disposal all modern conservative and surgical treatments that have proven their effectiveness at the international level. The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Markus Rickert.
In the field of joint replacement surgery, the department mainly specializes in hip, knee and shoulder endoprosthetic surgery. Depending on the age and anatomical features of the patient, cement and cementless prostheses can be used. Hip and knee operations are performed in accordance with the very latest recommendations, using sparing minimally invasive techniques.
The specialists in the field of spinal surgery conduct both conservative and surgical treatment of diseases of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine. To make an accurate diagnosis and select the optimal treatment tactics, the experts from the Departments of Radiology and Neurology can be often involved in the therapeutic process. A key focus in this field is the implementation of dorsoventral spinal fusion, vertebral prosthetics, nucleotomy, kyphoplasty and operations to treat herniated discs.
The department’s tasks also include the treatment of all primary and secondary benign and malignant tumors of bones and soft tissues. Each clinical case is examined at an interdisciplinary tumor board. To diagnose tumors, there are used studies, such as CT, MRI, PET-CT, etc. The treatment mostly includes neoadjuvant, adjuvant and surgical therapy. Should bones and soft tissues be resected, reconstructive interventions will be performed to eliminate the defects.
The department’s clinical focuses include:
- Arthroscopic surgery
- Knee arthroscopic surgery
- Arthroscopic meniscus surgery (partial resection, suturing, collagen meniscus implantation)
- Arthroscopic plastic surgery of the anterior and posterior cruciate ligament
- Arthroscopic plication of the medial collateral ligament
- Cartilage arthroscopic surgery: microfracturing, mosaic repair, cartilage cell transplantation (MACI), osteochondral fragment refixing
- Arthroscopic arthrofibrolysis
- Arthroscopic synovectomy
- Shoulder arthroscopic surgery
- Arthroscopic treatment of shoulder instability and articular lip lesions
- Arthroscopic expansion of the subacromial space using bursectomy
- Arthroscopic removal of calcification
- Arthroscopic resection of the acromioclavicular joint
- Arthroscopic reconstruction of the rotator cuff
- Ankle arthroscopic surgery
- Arthroscopic removal of the free articular body
- Arthroscopic treatment of impingement syndrome (decompression)
- Arthroscopic treatment of cartilage lesions (MACI, microfracturing, cartilage smoothing)
- Knee arthroscopic surgery
- Joint replacement surgery
- Hip replacement surgery
- Knee replacement surgery
- Shoulder replacement surgery
- Foot and ankle surgery
- Arthrodesis
- Joint replacement surgery
- Corrective osteotomy
- Fracture treatment
- Joint and tendon synovectomy
- Tendon reconstruction
- Pediatric orthopedics
- Foot deformities
- Clubfoot
- Flat feet
- Heel foot
- Hollow foot
- Hip diseases
- Femoral head displacement
- Hip dysplasia
- Perthes disease
- Hip dislocation
- Inflammatory hip diseases (for example, bacterial coxitis)
- Knee diseases
- Traumatic ligament rupture and cartilage lesion
- Osteochondritis dissecans
- Neuro-orthopedic diseases
- Cerebral palsy
- Spina bifida
- Muscular dystrophy
- Spinal diseases
- Scoliosis
- Adolescent kyphosis
- Limb deformities
- Axial deformities
- Limb length discrepancy
- Rotational deformities
- Foot deformities
- Orthopedic rheumatology
- Synovectomy
- Joint interventions
- Spinal interventions
- Sports orthopedics (conservative and surgical treatment of acute and chronic sports injuries of the tendons, muscles and joints)
- Septic surgery and revision endoprosthetics
- Orthopedic oncology (treatment of primary and secondary bone and soft tissue tumors)
- Spinal surgery
- Dorsoventral spinal fusion
- Vertebral prosthetics
- Nucleotomy
- Kyphoplasty
- Intervertebral hernia repair
- Other medical services
Curriculum vitae
- 1988 - 1995 Study of Human Medicine, University of Essen.
- 1995 - 1997 Assistant Physician, Sports Clinic in Stuttgart (Sportklinik Stuttgart).
- 1997 - 2005 Assistant Physician, Department of Orthopedics, University Hospital Heidelberg.
- 1997 Doctoral thesis defense. Subject: "Resistance to natural tendon rupture of the sternocleidomastoid muscle in humans – a biomechanical study".
- 2005 - 2007 Senior Physician, Department of Orthopedics, University Hospital Heidelberg.
- 2006 Habilitation. Subject: "On the influence of growth factor and differentiation-5 (GDF-5) on the healing of the Achilles tendon in the context of tissue engineering of tendons and ligaments".
- 2007 - 2010 Leading Senior Physician, Department of Orthopedics, University Hospital Heidelberg.
- Since 2010 Head of the Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics, Orthopedic Surgery at the University Hospital Giessen UKGM.
Qualifications
- Medical Specialist in Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery.
- Additional specialization in Special Orthopedic Surgery.
- Additional specialization in Pediatric Orthopedics.
Clinical Focuses
- Knee and hip replacement surgery, including revision surgery.
- Partial knee replacement surgery (Oxford sliding prosthesis).
- Shoulder surgery, including arthroplasty.
Research Focuses
- Biomechanical properties and stimulation of healing in case of tendon injuries.
- Biomechanics and functionality of orthopedic implants.
Memberships in Professional Societies
- German Society of Orthopedics and Orthopedic Surgery (DGOOC).
- DGOOC Basic Research Section.
- German Association of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (DVSE).
- European Society for Surgery of the Shoulder and the Elbow (SECEC).
Photo of the doctor: (c) UKGM - Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg GmbH