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 Dr. Toft featured on the German TV program "N24 Aktiv" |
As featured on the German TV program "N24 Aktiv":
A report on the repair of torn knee ligaments
N24 - Presenter:The knee joint is one of the most used joints in our body. And that holds true not only for people who pursue physically demanding activities. While in the past, accidents at work were responsible for the high level of employee sick days in German companies, these days the number of accidents that happen during leisure time and/or while playing sports is continually increasing. One of the most frequent sports injuries is a torn knee ligament. Today, with the help of new treatment techniques that have a particularly low complication rate, successful therapy results are being achieved. |
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N24 - Voice-over:René Schwotzer's memories of his last ski vacation aren't good ones. A poorly adjusted boot fastening caused an unspectacular fall to have disastrous consequences. René, who is 28 years old, had to head home earlier than planned. The unpleasant diagnosis: a torn frontal knee ligament. |
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René Schwotzer (Consultant) - Patient:The problem was just that my right ski wouldn't release - it stayed on while I fell. And that's what caused my torn ligament. I only noticed it when I tried to get up and fell over backwards because my knee didn't have any stability at all anymore. |
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N24 - Voice-over:The knee joint is exposed to significant risk of injury; not only on the slopes, but also on the football field. The knee has to balance loads and absorb impacts while playing badminton. Basically, our ligaments are our knees' "safety belts". |
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Dr. Juergen Toft - Alpha Klinik Munich:The ligaments stabilize the joint from the front and back. That means that they prevent the thigh bone from slipping over the shin bone - either backwards (prevented by the front ligament), or forwards (prevented by the anterior ligament). |
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N24 - Voice-over:As an experienced specialist in the area of knee surgery, Dr. Juergen Toft presented the results of arthroscopic surgical techniques as early as 1983. That makes him one of the first surgeons worldwide who contributed to the breakthrough of this minimal-invasive procedure. |
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Dr. Juergen Toft - Knee Specialist:The new thing about the arthroscopic surgical procedure was that you didn't cut open the joint itself. And you only required small, auxiliary cuts outside of the joint for the attachment of the transplanted tissue. The advantage here was that you could avoid big cuts, which often result in significant clotting and scarring within the joint, and avoid severing certain nerves, which results in loss of sensation and possibly even of fine muscle control - and so on and so forth. All of these disadvantages can be avoided with the new procedures. |
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N24 - Voice-over:Today, arthroscopic knee operations are routine procedures. René Schwotzer received a ligament transplant from what is called the semitendenosis tendon, which is removed from the back of the thigh, stitched fourfold and then implanted in the knee joint. For athletes, by the way, a replacement ligament taken from the central third of the patella tendon is usually the best option. They are fixated using either so-called interference screws or titanium staples. The semitendenosis technique is the best for hobby sportspeople. The advantage: the transplanted tendon material is pulled through the remaining ligament tissue. This way, the transplant heals more rapidly, which greatly increases the chances that the joint will regain its full stability. |
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Dr. Juergen Toft:If we look at the picture after the insertion of the replacement tissue, you can see that the replacement tissue is barely visible. This is great for the healing process, because we took as much of the tissue that remained from the original ligament as possible and pulled the transplant through it. Here, you can see the four strands of tendon - you can see the two up front here, and the other two follow the line of my finger - bascially hidden right behind it. That way, it's easier to imagine what it looks like under the reddish and somewhat obscured tissue. |
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N24 - Voice-over:Shortly after the operation, the patient is already making his first attempts at walking. He only needed to spend one night as a stationary patient at the clinic. And the evening's entertainment has already been provided - every patient receives their own personal video of the operation. So now René Schwotzer can take all the time he wants to view the operation.
And finally, during the surgeon's visit, the patient receives further instructions for his rehabilition phase. Mr. Schwotzer needs to use crutches for about the next ten days. After that, he will wear a flexible brace for six weeks. During that time, his motto will be "no sports", except for physical therapy of course.
Since there were no complications during the operation, the recreational skier's knee will soon be fully functional again. |
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More articles:
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 VI. Snow Arena Polo World Cup Kitzbühel
10.01.2008. For the first time Prof Toft and his team were present as sponsor at the unusual and enthralling spectacle of the Snow Polo Tournament that took place in the luxurious Kitzbühel valley in Austria. |
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Back to the mountains
26.09.2007. Professor Juergen Toft helps 70-year-old Terrence White to go back to his passion of mountain climbing after surgery three years ago that preserved his knee joint through biological repair known as abrasion arthoplasty with osteotomy. Three years after this procedure Mr Terence White climbed Mount Grossglockner, Austria’s highest mountain. |
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Orthopaedics International Today
04.07.2006. The international orthopaedic magazine provides from prominent orthopaedic leaders news and reviews their preferred treatments and surgical approaches to common conditions in the knee shoulder and hip. |
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Arab Health 2006
11.01.2006. Prof. Juergen Toft and his team at the Arab Health Dubai -2006 |
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Emirates national team soccer player
17.08.2005. Emirates national team soccer player given the green light to return to full activity after successful anterior cruciate ligament replacement only five months ago |
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Marwa's story
31.03.2005. Marwa comes back to Alpha klinik for a full check up and gets the thumbs up for her health and her courage to face life with a smile |
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A Knee Patient's Success Story
24.03.2004. Rob Lindeman, an avid runner, recounts the encouraging story of his surgery at Alpha Klinik and subsequent full recovery. |
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Dr. Alcy Vilas-Boas joins the Alpha Klinik
01.06.2003. Talented surgeon Dr. Alcy Vilas-Boas joins the Alpha Klinik as our second knee surgeon. He has many years of experience in minimal-invasive surgical techniques |
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Four new high-tech ORs inaugurated
03.02.2003. As part of extensive expansions to the Alpha Klinik premises that are currently being carried out we recently inaugurated our 4 new high-tech operating theatres. |
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