Hamburg Hip & Knee Manufactury

Dr. Christian Gatzka is specialized in the treatment of hip and knee joint diseases in adolescents and adults after many years of thorough orthopedic and trauma surgery training. As one of the few hip and knee surgeons in Germany, he has many years of experience in both joint-preserving and joint-replacing therapies.

For him the first goal of treatment is to identify the cause of illness or pain as precisely as possible. The diagnosis is based on a detailed survey and clinical examination, which is specially offered in a hip and knee consultation. Together with the patient it is carefully considered whether conservative or surgical measures are necessary to ensure successful treatment.

If surgery is necessary, Dr. Gatzka specializes in the use of minimally invasive, or 'soft tissue-sparing,' techniques. This applies to both joint-preserving measures for the hip and knee joints (hip and knee arthroscopy) as well as joint replacement (hip: minimally invasive anterolateral hip approach, upon request and if possible DAA approach - minimally invasive medial parapatellar approach, upon request and if possible sub-vastus approach).

Dr. Gatzka is a regular organizer and instructor at national and international congresses.

Focus of Work in the Field of Hip Surgery

Diagnosis

Treatment

Early Osteoarthritis

non-operative (i.e., conservative) 'cartilage-protective' or stabilizing measures (including injection of hyaluronic acid products, ACP, PRP)
nutritional and lifestyle counseling

with cartilage damages

cartilage surgical measures
one-stage: e.g., microfracture, OATS, minced cartilage
two-stage: e.g., cartilage cell transplantation (ACT)

femoroacetabular impingements (FAI)
CAM type
PINCER type

arthroscopically (joint arthroscopy) as well as open (surgical hip joint dislocation)

disruptive foreign bodies in the joint (e.g., chondromatosis)

arthroscopic or open removal

periprosthetic fracture (near the prosthesis)

Osteosynthesis, prosthesis replacement, or a combination of both

impaired blood supply to the hip joint (temporary osteopenia, hip osteonecrosis)

conservative: intravenous bisphosphonates and other mechanical and pharmacological therapies
surgical: Drilling, underpinning, BISS screw, trap door technique (open)

joint labrum tear or lesion

Anatomical restoration/stabilization of the joint labrum (labrum acetabulare) to maintain or restore biomechanics (the so-called 'suction-sealing' effect).

hip dysplasia

reorienting pelvic osteotomies ("Triple" / PAO)

femoral rotation and/or shape abnormalities

open (plate) or semi-open (nail) bony correction procedures

mishealed fractures

surgical corrections

advanced (conservatively 'worn-out') Osteoarthritis of the hip joint

patient-individualized hip prosthesis implantations using tissue-sparing ('minimally invasive') techniques, when feasible and appropriate

1. short stem
2. uncemented or cemented long stem
3. custom made prostheses (on request)
4. revision prostheses
5. ceramic-plastic articulation
6. ceramic-ceramic articulation (on request)

prosthesis loosening

component replacement (e.g., head and inlay) or full prosthesis replacement

Focus of Work in the Field of Knee Surgery:

Diagnosis

Treatment

early Osteoarthritis

non-operative (i.e., conservative) 'cartilage-protective' or stabilizing measures (including injection of hyaluronic acid products, ACP, PRP)
nutritional and lifestyle counseling

with cartilage damages

cartilage surgical measures
One-stage: e.g., microfracture, OATS, minced cartilage
Two-stage: e.g., cartilage cell transplantation (ACT)

meniscus injuries

mensical wrapping, meniscal gluing, meniscal suture, meniscal replacement, partial meniscectomy

recent, older cruciate ligament tear (anterior / posterior / partial bundle tear) and history of cruciate ligament surgery or tear of a cruciate ligament graft

anterior and posterior cruciate ligament graft, reconstruction of the cruciate ligament while preserving the cruciate ligament structures, partial bundle replacement, reconstruction of the "posterolateral corner"

alignment (bowleg, knock-knees) and rotational problems

axis correction (femoral, tibial, combined osteotomy)

unstable kneecap (PFI - PatelloFemoral Instability) - congenital or due to injury

MPFL reconstruction, trochleaplasty, ACT (anterior cruciate ligament transplantation), tibial tubercle transfer, LPFL (lateral patellofemoral ligament) elongation, realignment osteotomies

disruptive foreign bodies in the joint (e.g., chondromatosis)

arthroscopic or open removal

mishealed fractures

surgical corrections

advanced (conservatively 'worn-out') Osteoarthritis of the hip joint

Patient-individualized hip prosthesis implantations using tissue-sparing ('minimally invasive') techniques, when feasible and appropriate

1. only for patients up to 65 years old: distractive treatment with an external frame holder
2. partial knee replacements (medial, lateral, Patellar facet joint)
3. uncemented or cemented surface replacement
4. custom made prostheses (on request)
5. revision prostheses
6. ceramic-plastic articulation
7. ceramic-ceramic articulation (on request)

prosthesis loosening

component replacement (e.g., head and inlay) or full prosthesis replacement