Schultess Clinic
Zurich. Switzerland
June 15 and 16, 2017.
Associate Professor Miniter was recently a guest of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Schulthess Clinic in Zurich. Invited to participate in this symposium by Dr Stefan Preiss, he was interested to share thoughts and ideas with surgeons from Switzerland, Germany and the U.K.
Topics of particular interest included, amongst others, optimisation of results after Total Knee Replacement. This commonly performed procedure continues to undergo evolution both in design and implementation. There are some interesting new concepts in development and there are some ongoing issues whose resolution should see even better results from this procedure. Robotic surgery seems to have some promise but will require more careful research before it is a routine part of Orthopaedic Surgery.
There is always interesting new equipment to be reviewed in the trade show, which supports these meetings. In particular, there are several new collagen replacement systems that should facilitate restoration where there is injury to the surfaces of joints. We will keep abreast of these developments and introduce them to our practice as and when they become clinically relevant and proven.
My own practice utilises both medial pivot and more conventional knee replacements. We choose the specific knee design based on individual assessment of each patient.
There have been substantial developments in the process of Total Knee Replacement in recent years. The installation of local anaesthetic around and into the joint has allowed significant reduction in post-operative pain. We have patients mobilising on the day of surgery in most cases and early discharge home or to rehabilitation often takes place in 3 to 5 days or less. There are rarely issues with loss of movement; in many cases patients see improved range of motion of the knee after surgery.
The meeting in Zurich was interesting and very worthwhile. European Orthopaedic Surgery offers a slightly different perspective and is always welcome.
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