05/02/2019
Find out more about our top specialists!
Today: Prof. Dr Wolf Petersen
Orthopedic surgeon Prof. Dr Wolf Petersen has been Chief Physician of Trauma Surgery and Orthopaedics as well as representative medical director at the Martin-Luther Hospital Berlin since 2008. He concentrates on orthopaedics and trauma surgery, special trauma surgery, sports medicine, and physical therapy. His personal specialty includes knee surgery. In this area, his reputation as an expert is well known far beyond the borders of Germany. With his medical team he treats all relevant orthopaedic and trauma surgery symptoms.
Dedicated, well-qualified employees, state-of-the-art medical nurture, interdisciplinary care across departments, patient-oriented work, and individualized nursing lead to an overall picture that makes the clinic attractive to patients. In addition, a compassionate pastoral accompaniment for patients and relatives is always available.
Established since 1974, the trauma surgery is the first of its kind in Germany. These days, all modern surgical methods for the treatment of injuries and damage to muscle and skeletal apparatus are implemented. The speciality of orthopaedics and trauma surgery deals with disorders of the musculoskeletal system (bones, joints, muscles, etc.). In this speciality, there is the possibility of conservative (e.g. medicinal, physical therapy) or surgical treatment approaches. With nowadays' operative interventions, most minimal invasive methods are applied. They show lower complications rates (wound healing disorders, etc.), patients have less pain and surgical patients are fit more quickly. Arthroscopic surgery (minimally invasive procedure on the joint through arthroscopy) finds application in, for example by movement restrictions of loose bodies (“joint mouse”) or also osteochondritis dissecans (bone death in a circumscribed joint surface area, usually traumatic) Arthroscopic examination and intervention are inter alia quite possible at the knee joint, shoulder joint and ankle.
Prof. Petersen and his colleagues often deal with diseases like osteoarthritis (joint wear), bone fractures, sports injuries and the consequences of accidents. Arthrosis (joint attrition) is a major focus in orthopaedics and trauma surgery. This most common joint disease is caused by wear and tear of the articular cartilage during the course of life.
In principle, each joint can be affected by this disease, especially frequent are knee joint (gonarthoris), hip joint (coxarthrosis), and finger joint (Fingerpolyarthrose) afflictions.
Prof. Petersen’s specialty is the treatment of knee disorders. The knee is the largest joint of the human body. It operates through a complex interplay of multiple structures. Due to the complexity of the knee joint, it is especially vulnerable to injuries and attrition (arthrosis, most frequently on the affected joint). If possible, knee procedures are conducted arthroscopically (through arthroscopy) these days.
Possible medical conditions and procedures of the knee are cartilage damage, correction of the leg axis (re-orientation osteotomy), interventions to the menisci (cartilage structure in the knee joint) such as partial meniscectomy removal, meniscal repair, meniscus transplantation), procedures of the anterior and posterior cruciate ligament (ligament rupture in the knee, halting the movement of the lower leg forward and back against the thigh) or injury to the kneecap (patella such as luxation, dislocation, or attrition). Knee surgeries are distinctly more complex than hip surgeries. Particularly successful are knee prostheses which are custom-made for each patient. The material being used is titanium. It does not trigger allergies and is the only active ingredient upon which bones can grow. After partial or almost complete removal of the meniscus, the risk of developing an early arthrosis in the knee is very high. After a partial meniscus resection, a so-called meniscus replacement can be contemplated. In this kind of meniscus surgery, orthopedic surgeons transplant either a donor meniscus or implant an artificially produced meniscus replacement tissue. The goal of this meniscus surgery is to restore the meniscus function and prevent or delay the emergence of a knee arthrosis.
Another highlight at the Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery is the double bundle method in cruciate ligament reconstruction: With this surgical technique both bundles of the anterior cruciate ligament can be reconstructed separately. With assistance of this method which is co-developed by chief physician Prof. Dr. med. Wolf Petersen, the knee has a better grip and greater rotational stability. For affected patients’ quality of life thus increases distinctly.
The Martin-Luther Hospital in Berlin exists since 1931. It became operative as the first evangelical major hospital in Berlin, with 400 beds at the time. Being an emergency center, it provides care for national and international patients in many disciplines. In addition to the clinic for trauma surgery and orthopaedics, gynaecologists (women's doctor), general, vascular and visceral surgeons (abdominal surgeons), anaesthesiologists, internists (internal medicine), plastic surgeons, radiation therapy doctors, and many other specialists are represented in the clinic. The Martin-Luther Hospital Berlin was distinguished for its exceptional patient satisfaction and has been certified as painless clinic. Thus, the hospital places increased attention to as much as possible pain free treatment before, during, and after surgery. This increases patients' well-being and leads to faster recovery.
Orthopedic surgeon Prof. Dr Wolf Petersen has been Chief Physician of Trauma Surgery and Orthopaedics as well as representative medical director at the Martin-Luther Hospital Berlin since 2008. His personal specialty includes knee surgery and his reputation as an expert is well known far beyond the....
