Restoring own cartilage of patient’s joint
The international orthopedic registries state that osteoarthritis is the most widespread pathology among joint diseases all over the world. The disease mainly affects hip and knee joints.
It becomes more common with aging and often affects people who are engaged in heavy physical work. Thus, osteoarthritis of the hip (coxarthrosis) treatment in Germany is performed in both young and elderly patients.
It includes conservative measures as the first-line option and the joint replacement as the second-line one. Surgical procedures are designed for patients from different age groups, with different levels of physical activity and state of bones of lower extremities.
Osteoarthrosis of the hip (coxarthrosis) treatment in Germany starts from conservative interventions aimed at restoring a normal state of the patient’s own cartilage.
Such an approach is connected with fewer side effects, excludes surgical risks and demonstrates good long-term results. Early diagnostics and therapy alleviate symptoms and postpone endoprosthesis placement.
Non-drug measures are:
- Physical therapy, including the land- and water-based procedures.
- Performing selected individually exercise complexes.
- Applying splinting or bracing, as the temporary measure.
- Maintaining normal body mass in order to avoid the excessive load on the hip joint.
Drug measures include the administration of painkillers. Typically, these are acetaminophen or NSAI drugs, including ibuprofen and naproxen. As a more invasive treatment option, hyaluronic acid or corticosteroids may be injected inside the affected joint. Intra-articular injections are performed in specialized clinics.
The more innovative option is stem cell therapy. Cartilage stem cells are harvested from the healthy joint, cultivated in the hospital, and injected inside the affected joint. Stem cells multiply and form new cartilage.
Replacing severely damaged joint structures
Advanced coxarthrosis often leads to disability and requires arthroplasty (joint replacement with a prosthesis). In Germany, orthopedists use high-quality titanium prostheses with a service life of over 15 years. In addition, surgeons use different techniques in young and older patients.
Total hip replacement is a type of surgery when the femoral head and acetabulum are substituted with an endoprosthesis. As a rule, patients over 55 years old are eligible for this treatment as they have relatively low physical activity and shorter life expectancy.
Younger and physically active patients may benefit more from McMinn’s hip surgery. McMinn’s hip replacement is the more sparing procedure that saves the femoral neck and part of the femoral head. The endoprosthesis substitutes the only surface of the femoral head and acetabulum. This facilitates further revision surgeries that are often required in younger patients. To learn more, visit website.
Leading German orthopedic institutions
Over 2100 healthcare facilities function in Germany. Orthopedic services are offered by hundreds of specialized centers and departments of multidisciplinary hospitals. Leading German hospitals that often admit international patients are:
- Charite University Hospital Berlin.
- University Hospital Heidelberg.
- Academic Hospital Helios Munich West.
- University Hospital Rechts der Isar Munich.
- University Hospital Ulm.
The specialized healthcare institutions offer not only conservative measures and hip arthroplasty, but also the orthopedic rehabilitation. Such a program facilitates full functional restoration and affects positively the quality of life.
Hip osteoarthritis treatment of coxarthrosis in Germany with Booking Health
Considering all the peculiarities of treating coxarthrosis abroad is difficult enough, thus it is better to entrust organizational issues to Booking Health.
The medical tourism provider Booking Health that has international certification assists patients in all aspects of undergoing therapy in Germany:
- Chooses one of the recommended hospitals.
- Establishes communication with the desired physician and books the appointment.
- Prepares the preliminary therapeutic program.
- Provides reasonable prices for medical procedures, excludes overpricing.
- Checks the final calculation.
- Arranges follow-up procedures and tests.
- Books accommodation, tickets, transfer.
- Provides services of medical translators and interpreters.
- Provides services of individual medical coordinator.
