Spine / pelvis treatment

Spine

The Traumatology Clinic treats spinal injuries, in particular spinal cord injuries and their sequelae, as well as spinal changes caused by tumors, for example. We use state-of-the-art methods for this. A special treatment method is the computer-navigated/endoscopic sclerotherapy of small vertebral joints (facet joints). This achieves a high level of treatment success. The Clinic for Traumatology is the only institution in Switzerland to use this method. We also use special carbon systems for the stabilization of spinal tumours, which offer the best treatment options in cooperation with the Department of Radiation Oncology. Another specialty of the clinic is the thermal ablation of vertebral body metastases, if necessary with additional stabilization.

Another focus of treatment is the stabilization of osteoporotic fractured vertebral bodies.

The treatment options include

• Operations from the back (fixation of the spine, relief of the spinal cord)
• Operations from the chest area (minimally invasive reconstructions and stabilizations)

Vertrebro/kyphoplasty

Under general anesthesia, a thin tube with a balloon at the tip is inserted into the collapsed vertebral body. The balloon is inflated until the original volume of the vertebral body is restored and a kind of cavity is created. The balloon is then removed and the resulting cavity is filled with bone cement to stabilize the vertebra. In vertroplasty, only bone cement is inserted without this balloon erection.

Especially in the area of these minimally invasive procedures, we use a variety of different implants in order to treat the widest possible range of vertebral fractures and thus minimize the burden on the patient.

Pelvis and hips

Fractures of the pelvic ring and acetabulum (hip socket) are serious injuries. They are often the result of a serious accident and usually occur in patients with multiple injuries. In older patients, these injuries often occur in minor accidents such as ordinary falls due to reduced bone quality.

The pelvis has a complicated three-dimensional anatomy and is located in the immediate vicinity of nerves, blood vessels and internal organs, which must not be damaged during surgical treatment. Precise, anatomical treatment of these fractures is crucial for the functional result. As a certified supra-regional trauma center, our specialists have the necessary experience and proven expertise to successfully treat such injuries.

Aim of the treatment

Our aim is to initiate an individual therapy after a detailed examination and adequate diagnostics. If surgical treatment becomes necessary, we can offer state-of-the-art surgical procedures with intraoperative 3D navigation and intraoperative computer tomography at our clinic. Posterior and increasingly anterior pelvic ring injuries can be surgically stabilized using a minimally invasive percutaneous procedure. Artificial hip joints are routinely implanted at the Department of Traumatology for femoral neck fractures in older people. Wherever possible, the minimally invasive technique (MIS) is used, which means that patients are usually fully mobile again immediately after the operation and the length of their hospital stay is significantly reduced. The latest generation of endoprostheses are used as hip implants, which have proven themselves over many years and have excellent long-term results.