This book describes and discusses the available joint preservation techniques for maintaining the stability homeostasis of the lower extremity joints – specifically the hip, knee, and ankle – following injury. Readers will find detailed coverage of anatomy, pathology, techniques for repair, restoration, and regeneration, and rehabilitation strategies. Joint preservation is an emerging field in Orthopaedics that represents a response to the limitations of joint replacement technology. Using the techniques now available, surgeons can try to prevent or delay the onset of osteoarthritis or other degenerative conditions affecting the joints, particularly in young patients. Furthermore, modern tissue engineering offers the potential for whole-joint resurfacing, thereby achieving complete restoration. Optimal implementation of these techniques depends upon further refinement of methods and continuing improvements in knowledge of biomechanics, biology, and anatomy. Against this background, the present book is an ideal guide to the latest treatment modalities that will appeal to all who wish to learn more about indications, goals, procedures, and expected outcomes.

The fourth volume of Progress in Orthopaedic Surgery is somewhat different from pre vious publications of the series. The editors have again tried to present two topics but the publications presented from the European literature are of very recent origin. In the age of total joint replacement it was felt to be imperative to counteract the pre sent tendency to treat every joint which does not seem to be healthy with an artificial re placement. Orthopaedic surgery seems to be influenced by trends. In 1963, E. A. Nichol discussing intracapsular hip fractures, quoted from Alice In Wonderland in an editorial written for volume 45B of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery "The Queen had only one way of settling all difficulties, great or small, "Off with his head"!". Today one could paraphrase his implied critizism by saying "Out with the joint". No one doubts that joint replacements have been of great value in treating degenerative joint changes, but it is already apparent that replacement operations are not the ultimate answer for treating every joint deformity. This volume represents the European experience of different types of surgery in treat ing arthrosis of the joints of the lower limb. A reader of the Anglo-American literature will find suggestions in it which reaffirm his uneasiness in considering only one solution for problems concerning lower limb joints. I feel strongly that there are other ways which allow a patient to function well with less extensive operations.

This book is published open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. White Paper on Joint Replacement This White Paper details the status of hip and knee arthroplasty care in Germany. Hip and knee replacements are amongst the most frequently performed procedures and usually become necessarily due to age-related wear of the joint, osteoarthritis and fractures of the femoral neck. In light of demographic change, demands with regard to standards of care and the procedures are likely to rise. Contents • This White Paper contains information on indications, procedures, health economic aspects and the healthcare system stakeholders involved. • It portrays current developments with regard to the prevalence of hip and knee arthroplasty, the healthcare situation and quality of care within the chain of medical care. • This book is complemented by a chapter assessing the current situation from an expert perspective with contributions from renowned experts in the fields of science, medical technology and medical practice. This book addresses people involved in shaping and representing the healthcare system from a variety of fields including medical professions, health insurances and health sciences as well as journalists and patient representatives.

This book offers a comprehensive overview of the basic science and clinical evidence for non-arthroplasty interventions in the adult knee. It aims to cover all aspects of joint-preserving knee surgery, from injectable therapies such as platelet-rich plasma and stem cell therapies to surgical interventions such as meniscal repair and replacement, ligament reconstructions, and osteotomies. Following discussion of clinical assessment and imaging, individual chapters focus on specific clinical problems, including patellofemoral joint disorders, chondral injuries, and bone tumors. For each condition, a thorough overview is provided, describing clinical assessment, management (including surgical and non-surgical methods), and novel therapies. The contributors are experts in their fields from across Europe and are drawn from the worlds of clinical and academic orthopedic surgery. This book is unique in its coverage of the entire span of non-arthroplasty knee surgery and its focus on both clinical and basic science aspects. It will be helpful for knee surgeons and those engaged in research on knee-related topics, but also for students and other physicians involved in the care of patients with disorders of the knee.

Comprised of clinical cases demonstrating strategies for both common and complex knee preservation, this concise, practical casebook will provide orthopedic surgeons with the best real-world strategies to properly manage the many kinds of knee injuries and disorders they may encounter. The opening section presents the knee joint as a unique structure, reviewing the anatomy and function of articular cartilage and the meniscus, the effects of joint malalignment, the role of the synovium, and how joint failure is defined. The next two sections are comprised of clinical cases with a unique presentation, followed by a description of the diagnosis, assessment and management techniques used to treat it, as well as the case outcome, and clinical pearls and pitfalls. Cases included illustrate small and large cartilage defects, osteochondritis dessicans, chondral defects and lesions, meniscal allograft transplantation, and tibial and tibiofemoral cartilage defects, among others. The final section examines the current evidence for the treatment of articular cartilage lesions and emerging techniques in knee joint preservation and cartilage restoration. Pragmatic and reader-friendly, Joint Preservation of the Knee: A Clinical Casebook is an excellent resource for orthopedic surgeons and sports medicine specialists treating common and complex injuries of the knee.

Degenerative conditions of the knee place an increasing burden on health economies and lead to pain and functional loss for sufferers. Although arthroplasty may not offer a level of functional restoration that meets all patients’ expectations, joint preservation through osteotomy is a viable option in younger, more physically active patients. This volume is a comprehensive technical guide to performing knee-preserving surgery to treat degenerative conditions and malalignment-associated knee instability. Drawing on their extensive experience of these procedures, the authors provide valuable insights into identifying patients who may benefit, as well as planning and performing the procedures with a high degree of precision, and explaining the results that can be achieved. This book both initiates novices and provides technical tips for experienced surgeons, and as such is an indispensible resource for all clinicians who treat patients with knee conditions.