Pediatric Orthopaedics and Foot Surgery
Department of Orthopaedics at Heidelberg University Hospital
One specialty of our Pediatric Orthopaedics and Foot Surgery Division is the treatment of children and adults with neurogenic deformities and gait disorders occurring in conjunction with neurologic diseases.
In particular, we treat children and adults with
- Infantile cerebral palsy (ICP, cerebral palsy, Little’s disease)
- Myelomenigocele (MMC, spina bifida)
- Arthrogryposis multiplex congenital
- Rare neurologic syndromes (e.g., Angelman syndrome, Rett syndrome, Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD), myotonic dystrophy, and Guillain-Barré syndrome)
- Chromosomal anomalies
- Muscle disorders
These underlying neurologic diseases can lead to various orthopaedic issues, such as gait disorders, dysplasias, and deformities that require treatment during growth.
This division is specialized in the following areas:
- Neurogenic hip (sub-)luxation
- Gait disorders (e.g., crouch gait, internal rotation gait, and stiff gait)
- Neurogenic foot deformities (pes equines, clubfoot, planovalgus foot, and pes cavus)
- Axial deformities of the legs and the arms
Gait analysis
This division offers the whole range of conservative methods and surgical procedures to treat these malalignments or gait disorders. If patients are able to walk they are regularly examined using a standardized instrumental 3D gait analysis prior to any planned surgical intervention in order to provide the best possible treatment. We have a modern and certified gait analysis laboratory at our disposal for this purpose. As part of a weekly meeting of experts, gait analyses are professionally evaluated and the surgical procedure or conservative treatment is precisely planned.
The department has a lab where movement can be analyzed. Please click here to visit Heidelberg Motion Lab.
We specialize in the following surgical procedures:
- Gait-improving multilevel surgery (SEMLS; single event multilevel surgery)
- Hip reconstructions
- Pelvic osteotomies (triple pelvic osteotomies, Dega, Pemberton, Salter, and Chiari)
- Corrective osteotomies (hip, knee, lower leg, ankle, foot)
- Lengthening of tendons
- Shortening of tendons
- Repositioning of tendons
- Bony and soft-tissue foot corrections
The post-surgical provision of the corresponding orthopedic and technical devices through the hospital’s own orthopedic workshop is part of our inpatient or outpatient follow-up care.
We offer the following conservative treatments:
- Orthoses of every kind and function
- Foam rubber positioning aids
- Plaster cast treatments
- Botulinum toxin injections
- Physiotherapy based on neurophysiology (e.g., Vojta and Bobath)
- Rehabilitation equipment (supply of wheel chairs, supply of seating shells)
As part of a university medical center, our principal mission is to treat complex conditions and deformities/gait disorders that sometimes require very elaborate reconstructive solutions. As a maximum care hospital, we offer you optimal care in cooperation with other university facilities with regard to any pre-existing conditions.
Overview: All Clinical Departments at Heidelberg University Hospital
Overview of Departments: Diseases / Injuries of the Musculoskeletal System: