In addition to patient care, the Orthopaedic University Hospital is also responsible for research and teaching in the field of orthopaedics.
As part of clinical research, the results of treatment for a wide range of orthopaedic conditions are regularly analysed. The focus here is on medium and long-term studies in the field of joint-preserving procedures and joint replacement, spinal surgery and paediatric orthopaedics. The aim is to check the sustainability of the therapeutic measures and to constantly optimise the treatment methods. Numerous experimental projects are carried out in close cooperation with the Institute for Trauma Surgery Research and Biomechanics (Head: Prof. Dr Anita Ignatius), in which different implants and surgical procedures are examined for their biomechanical properties.
The Biochemistry of Joint and Connective Tissue Diseases Section (Head: Prof Dr Rolf Brenner) is part of the research area of the Orthopaedic University Clinic. The section was established in 1998 as an endowed professorship of the Merckle-Ratiopharm company with the aim of expanding basic orthopaedic research in the field of cell and molecular biology. Since 2008, the section has been financed by the Faculty of Medicine and third-party funds. The research focus of this interdisciplinary working group is on molecular principles and new therapeutic approaches to cartilage diseases, the use of mesenchymal stem cells for the regeneration of musculoskeletal tissue and cell-biomaterial interactions for implant functionalisation.