Our musculoskeletal system
The human skeleton consists of just over 200 bones. The bones are an important part of our musculoskeletal system. Thanks to the joints, in which the bones are also primarily involved, we can move in all directions, grip with our hands and walk. Bones are living organs that are well supplied with blood, grow vigorously in children and adolescents and also grow back together in adults after a fracture. A newborn's bones are still very soft. Over the years, calcium is increasingly stored in them, making them hard and stable. The red bone marrow of some bones also contains cells that form red and white blood cells and platelets.
Injuries to the musculoskeletal system
Trauma surgery is the medical speciality responsible for treatment when bones are broken as a result of a fall or road traffic accident. The doctors ensure that the parts of the broken bone are in the exact position in relation to each other so that the bone can grow back together correctly. To do this, the bone must be immobilised. This can be done with a plaster cast or a splint. However, plates, nails and screws are often also required, which are inserted during an operation to stabilise the broken bone.
Wear and tear of the musculoskeletal system
In addition to broken bones, medically known as fractures, bones and especially joints are also subject to wear and tear over the course of our lives. The protective cartilage layer in the joints decreases and so-called osteoarthritis develops, which leads to inflammation, swelling and increasing joint pain as the disease progresses, because without the cartilage layer, bone rubs against bone. Treatment is carried out by doctors specialising in orthopaedics. Joint-preserving therapies can often alleviate symptoms and stop osteoarthritis in its tracks. If the disease is advanced, the joint can ultimately be replaced with an artificial joint replacement, a so-called endoprosthesis. The Clinic for Orthopaedics is one of the largest and most efficient orthopaedic departments in Germany.
Bone sarcoma
In addition to the treatment of osteoarthritis, the doctors at the clinic have extensive experience in the treatment of relatively rare bone tumours. Patients suffering from these so-called bone sarcomas are treated in Ulm in a special interdisciplinary medical centre. In contrast to sarcomas, secondary tumours of the bones, i.e. metastases of other cancers, are relatively common. Their treatment is also interdisciplinary with the expertise of different specialist disciplines.
All types of injuries of all ages are treated in our state-of-the-art central emergency department. The spectrum ranges from minor injuries to the most serious injuries.
We are also authorised to treat accidents at work in accordance with the injury type procedure (VAV) and the serious injury type procedure (SAV). Bone fractures that do not require surgery can be treated directly in our emergency department (plaster room) with a plaster splint.
We also perform surgical treatment of fractures on an outpatient basis.
In addition to the emergency department, we also have a university outpatient trauma surgery clinic. The university outpatient clinic is organised in the same way as a doctor's surgery. Appointments for consultations or follow-ups can be made at any time via our call centre (0731-54777).
Appointments can be made under:
Telephone: 0731-500-54553
E-mail: nicole.roessler@uniklinik-ulm.de
As a supra-regional centre for trauma surgery and orthopaedics, we offer all standard and modern foot surgery procedures. Depending on the type of procedure and the individual situation of the patient, we plan it under inpatient conditions or in our modern outpatient surgery centre (AOZ).
Appointments can be made under:
Telephone: 0731 500 54507
Joint prostheses have been implanted in the Department of Trauma Surgery since the early 1970s. All medical departments at the University Hospital are available for comprehensive patient care in the event of concomitant diseases. Joint replacements are most frequently performed as a result of severe joint injuries that have destroyed the joint partners (post-traumatic arthosis), or in the case of age-related signs of wear and tear (arthrosis). In addition to the initial replacement of a joint, we also regularly carry out replacement operations. Joint prostheses are fitted to the hip, knee, shoulder, elbow and ankle.
Appointments can be made under:
Telephone: 0731 500 54507
Plastic and microsurgery specialises in reconstructive and aesthetic surgery. This includes scar corrections following accidents, burns or operations and skin transplants, as well as the treatment of benign and malignant skin tumours.
Hand surgery includes bone, joint, nerve, vascular and tendon surgery. In addition to many other treatments, burns, chemical burns, rheumatic diseases and bone fractures are treated here and nerve and tendon transplants, for example, are carried out.
Appointments can be made under:
Telephone: 0731 500 54777
E-mail: edgar.schilly@uniklinik-ulm.de
Accident-related or post-operative infection of bone and soft tissue requires treatment appropriate to the situation. It is not only an infection of the bone, but also always an infection of the surrounding soft tissue.
This situation must be taken into account and an individualised treatment approach developed for each patient.
The treatment of such problematic cases has a long tradition in the Department of Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery at Ulm University Hospital. We have a separate treatment unit with staff specially trained in the treatment of complication wounds.
Appointments can be made under:
Telephone: 0731-500-54553
E-mail: nicole.roessler@uniklinik-ulm.de
The focus on arthroscopy, sports injuries and deformities has set itself the goal of offering patients a comprehensive range of treatments for acute joint injuries as well as consequential damage and signs of wear and tear.
Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of injuries and signs of wear and tear (degenerative changes) in joints. This method is primarily used on the knee and shoulder joints. However, arthroscopies are also routinely performed at our clinic on the upper ankle joint (OSG) and elbow joint.
We treat all injuries resulting from sports accidents and, as a club athlete, you can receive optimal and comprehensive treatment, as the Clinic for Trauma Surgery is authorised by the German Employers' Liability Insurance Association (BG). As the knee joint is most frequently affected in sports accidents, it also forms the focus of our treatment spectrum for sports injuries.
The treatment of congenital and acquired deformities (malpositions) of the lower extremities has been a traditional focus of the Trauma Surgery Clinic for many years. Acquired deformities are caused by bone fractures that have healed in a malposition or, in children, a disruption of the growth plate, often as a result of an injury.
Appointments can be made under:
Telephone: 0731 500 53128
E-mail: marina.engelmayer@uniklinik-ulm.de
For several decades, our clinic has been treating all forms of malignant bone and soft tissue tumours in the entire skeletal area, including the spine and bone metastases of all entities in children and adults. This is primarily carried out on an interdisciplinary basis as part of the Ulm Sarcoma Centre.
Care is provided by a competent team, a separate tumour consultation hour is available, appointments by arrangement. Patients are cared for in close co-operation with the doctors at their place of residence and the referring physicians.
Appointments can be made under:
Telephone: 0731 500 54516
E-mail: jeanette.kocher@uniklinik-ulm.de
One of the main specialisations of the Trauma Surgery Clinic is the treatment and care of childhood injuries. Bone fractures and injuries to soft tissue and tendons are treated in an age-appropriate manner. Depending on the type of fracture and the age of our young patients, we use the most modern, minimally invasive and gentle procedures to stabilise bone fractures.
Appointments can be made under:
Phone: 0731 500-54553
E-mail: nicole.roessler@uniklinik-ulm.de
Vertebral body fractures are associated with the risk of spinal cord damage. For this reason, spinal injuries must be diagnosed with the utmost care and treated appropriately. As the second oldest department of trauma surgery in Germany, we have decades of experience in treating these injuries. Numerous scientific publications on this problem originate from our department and have helped to shape the modern understanding of spinal surgery. As a supra-regional spinal centre in southern Germany, we offer the complete range of operations for the treatment of vertebral fractures and their sequelae.
Appointments can be made under:
Telephone: 0731-500-53128
E-mail: marina.engelmayer@uniklinik-ulm.de
Consultation hours:
- Thursday: 8:00 - 15:00
Appointments can be made:
- Phone: 0731 177-2000
- E-mail: zbm@rku.de
You can reach us by telephone:
- Monday to Friday: 08:30 - 16:00
Location:
- Orthopaedic University Clinic at the RKU Ulm
University Outpatient Clinic
Oberer Eselsberg 45
89081 Ulm
What should I bring to the appointment?
- Referral slip
- All previous findings (X-rays, MRI, CT, puncture results, etc.)
- If applicable, operation report or doctor's letter in the case of previous orthopaedic surgery
Consultation hours:
- Friday: 8:00 - 15:00
Appointments can be made:
- Phone: 0731 177-2000
- E-mail:zbm@rku.de
You can reach us by phone:
- Monday to Friday: 08:30 - 16:00
Location:
- Orthopaedic University Clinic at the RKU Ulm
University Outpatient Clinic
Oberer Eselsberg 45
89081 Ulm
What should I bring to the appointment?
- Referral slip
- All previous findings (X-rays, MRI, CT, puncture results, etc.)
- If applicable, operation report or doctor's letter in the case of previous orthopaedic surgery
Consultation hours:
- Monday: 8:30 - 16:00
- Wednesday: 8:00 - 16:00
Appointments can be made:
- Phone: 0731 177-2000
- E-mail: zbm@rku.de
You can reach us by telephone:
- Monday to Friday: 08:30 - 16:00
Location:
- Orthopaedic University Clinic at the RKU Ulm
University Outpatient Clinic
Oberer Eselsberg 45
89081 Ulm
What should I bring to the appointment?
- Referral slip
- All previous findings (X-rays, MRI, CT, puncture results, etc.)
- If applicable, operation report or doctor's letter in the case of previous orthopaedic surgery
Consultation hours:
- Tuesday: 8:00 - 16:00
Appointments can be made:
- Phone: 0731 177-2000
- E-mail: zbm@rku.de
You can reach us by telephone:
- Monday to Friday: 08:30 - 16:00
Location:
- Orthopaedic University Clinic at the RKU Ulm
University Outpatient Clinic
Oberer Eselsberg 45
89081 Ulm
What should I bring to the appointment?
- Referral slip
- All previous findings (X-rays, MRI, CT, puncture results, etc.)
- If applicable, operation report or doctor's letter in the case of previous orthopaedic surgery
Consultation hours:
- Wednesday: 8:00 - 15:40
Appointments can be made:
- Phone: 0731 177-2000
- E-mail: zbm@rku.de
You can reach us by telephone:
- Monday to Friday: 08:30 - 16:00
Location:
- Orthopaedic University Clinic at the RKU Ulm
University Outpatient Clinic
Oberer Eselsberg 45
89081 Ulm
What should I bring to the appointment?
- Referral slip
- All previous findings (X-rays, MRI, CT, puncture results, etc.)
- If applicable, operation report or doctor's letter in the case of previous orthopaedic surgery
Consultation hours:
- Thursday: 12:00 - 14:30
Appointments can be made:
- Phone: 0731 177-2000
- E-mail:zbm@rku.de
You can reach us by telephone:
- Monday to Friday: 08.30 - 16.00
Location:
- Orthopaedic University Clinic at the RKU Ulm
University Outpatient Clinic
Oberer Eselsberg 45
89081 Ulm
What should I bring to the appointment?
- Referral slip
- All previous findings (X-rays, MRI, CT, puncture results, etc.)
- If applicable, operation report or doctor's letter in the case of previous orthopaedic surgery
Consultation hours:
- Thursday: 12:30 - 14:30
Appointments can be made:
- Phone: 0731 177-2000
- E-mail: zbm@rku.de
You can reach us by telephone:
- Monday to Friday: 08.30 - 16.00
Location:
- Orthopaedic University Clinic at the RKU Ulm
University Outpatient Clinic
Oberer Eselsberg 45
89081 Ulm
What should I bring to the appointment?
- Referral slip
- All previous findings (X-rays, MRI, CT, puncture results, etc.)
- If applicable, operation report or doctor's letter in the case of previous orthopaedic surgery
Consultation hours:
- Wednesday: 12:00 - 15:30
Appointments can be made:
- Phone: 0731 177-2000
- E-mail: zbm@rku.de
You can reach us by telephone:
- Monday to Friday: 08:30 - 16:00
Location:
- Orthopaedic University Clinic at the RKU Ulm
University Outpatient Clinic
Oberer Eselsberg 45
89081 Ulm
What should I bring to the appointment?
- Referral slip
- All previous findings (X-rays, MRI, CT, puncture results, etc.)
- If applicable, operation report or doctor's letter in the case of previous orthopaedic surgery
Consultation hours:
- Tuesday: 8:00 - 16:00
Appointments can be made:
- Phone: 0731 177-2000
- E-mail: zbm@rku.de
You can reach us by telephone:
- Monday to Friday: 08:30 - 16:00
Location:
- Orthopaedic University Clinic at the RKU Ulm
University Outpatient Clinic
Oberer Eselsberg 45
89081 Ulm
What should I bring to the appointment?
- Referral slip
- All previous findings (X-rays, MRI, CT, puncture results, etc.)
- If applicable, operation report or doctor's letter in the case of previous orthopaedic surgery
Consultation hours:
- Tuesday: 8:00 - 11:00 a.m.
- Friday: 13:00 - 15:00
Please make an appointment:
- Phone: 0731 177-2000
- E-mail: zbm@rku.de
You can reach us by telephone:
- Monday to Friday: 08:30 - 16:00
Location:
- Orthopaedic University Clinic at the RKU Ulm
University Outpatient Clinic
Oberer Eselsberg 45
89081 Ulm
What should I bring to the appointment?
- Referral slip
- All previous findings (X-rays, MRI, CT, puncture results, etc.)
- If applicable, operation report or doctor's letter in the case of previous orthopaedic surgery
Consultation hours:
- Friday: 8:00 - 13:30
Appointments can be made:
- Phone: 0731 177-2000
- E-mail: zbm@rku.de
You can reach us by telephone:
- Monday to Friday: 08:30 - 16:00
Location:
- Orthopaedic University Clinic at the RKU Ulm
University Outpatient Clinic
Oberer Eselsberg 45
89081 Ulm
What should I bring to the appointment?
- Referral slip
- All previous findings (X-rays, MRI, CT, puncture results, etc.)
- If applicable, operation report or doctor's letter in the case of previous orthopaedic surgery
Consultation hours:
- Thursday: 08:00 - 11:20 a.m.
Appointments can be made:
- Phone: 0731 177-2000
- E-mail: zbm@rku.de
You can reach us by telephone:
- Monday to Friday: 08:30 - 16:00
Location:
- Orthopaedic University Clinic at the RKU Ulm
University Outpatient Clinic
Oberer Eselsberg 45
89081 Ulm
What should I bring to the appointment?
- Referral slip
- All previous findings (X-rays, MRI, CT, puncture results, etc.)
- If applicable, operation report or doctor's letter in the case of previous orthopaedic surgery
Consultation hours:
- By telephone arrangement
Make an appointment:
- Phone: 0731 177-2000
- E-mail: zbm@rku.de
You can reach us by telephone:
- Monday to Friday: 08.30 - 16.00
What should I bring to the appointment?
- Referral slip
- All previous findings (X-rays, MRI, CT, puncture results, etc.)
- If applicable, operation report or doctor's letter in the case of previous orthopaedic surgery
Consultation hours:
- Once a month, Tuesday 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Appointments can be made:
- Phone: 0731 177-2000
- E-mail: zbm@rku.de
You can reach us by telephone:
- Monday to Friday: 08:30 - 16:00
Location:
- Orthopaedic University Clinic at the RKU Ulm
University Outpatient Clinic
Oberer Eselsberg 45
89081 Ulm
What should I bring to the appointment?
- Referral slip
- All previous findings (X-rays, MRI, CT, puncture results, etc.)
- If applicable, operation report or doctor's letter in the case of previous orthopaedic surgery
Consultation hours:
- Every last Wednesday of the month: 14:00 - 15:00
Appointments can be made:
- Phone: 0731 177-2000
- E-mail: zbm@rku.de
You can reach us by telephone:
- Monday to Friday: 08.30 - 16.00
Location:
- Orthopaedic University Clinic at the RKU Ulm
University Outpatient Clinic
Oberer Eselsberg 45
89081 Ulm
What should I bring to the appointment?
- Referral slip
- All previous findings (X-rays, MRI, CT, puncture results, etc.)
- If applicable, operation report or doctor's letter in the case of previous orthopaedic surgery