Prof. Dr. med. Sebastian Siebenlist

Prof. Siebenlist and his team of experienced joint specialists cover the entire spectrum of joint-preserving surgery on the shoulder, elbow, knee, and ankle at Sportorthopädie TUM. In addition, the surgical focus – at a highly specialized level – is on endoprosthetic care of the upper extremity. Sometimes joint replacement is the only way to restore a pain-free function of the shoulder or elbow, explains the section head and chief physician. The department offers everything from the smallest possible partial prosthesis to personalized individual prostheses in modern endoprosthetics.

At Sportorthopädie TUM, around 25,000 patients are treated on an outpatient basis every year. Of the more than 2,500 surgical procedures performed annually, one-third each are on the shoulder, knee, elbow, and ankle. "We treat acute injuries as well as degenerative and (post)traumatic joint damage," emphasizes Siebenlist. The focus is on soft tissue injuries (elbow dislocation), ligament ruptures (ACL tear), changes in tendon attachments (rotator cuff), and/or muscle-tendon injuries. Another focus is on the treatment of cartilage damage (especially using autologous cartilage replacement procedures). To traumatize the joint structures as little as possible, the Munich team almost always operates minimally invasively.

Especially the arthroscopic and minimally invasive techniques for smaller joints, such as the elbow, have been rapidly improved in recent times, says Siebenlist: "Today we are able to treat fractures arthroscopically without having to open the joint through a large access." Besides arthroscopic procedures, the orthopedic and trauma surgeon is particularly interested in complicated cases: "Patients are often referred to us who could not be treated further elsewhere due to the complexity of the case." As a university competence center, Sportorthopädie TUM has all options for elaborate and complex joint reconstructions at its disposal – also through interdisciplinary cooperation with other departments.

What distinguishes a university center today is described by the joint expert as follows: "Based on scientific knowledge, the use of innovative methods, such as artificial intelligence (AI), must be questioned and evaluated. Through close integration of research and clinic, new therapeutic procedures can be quickly established and made available to our patients. We have perfected many surgical techniques in recent years and optimized the instrumentation together with various manufacturers."

At Sportorthopädie TUM, the focus is on biomechanical studies and clinical trials of specially developed surgical procedures. Together with foreign faculties in Europe, the UK, and the USA, Sportorthopädie TUM forms a research consortium. In addition to joint scientific projects, doctors rotate to the various cooperation centers during their specialist training.

"Rapid recovery and return to sports or professional life require teamwork," emphasizes Prof. Siebenlist. Communication and collaboration between doctors, physiotherapists, and rehabilitation physicians are of utmost importance at Sportorthopädie TUM. Rehabilitation begins in the in-house physiotherapy department – individually coordinated with the attending surgeon. The subsequent rehabilitation treatment is continued with own cooperation partners, for example in the Medical Park Clinics in Bad Wiessee or on Lake Chiemsee.

In addition to teamwork, joint-specific focus is extremely important for Prof. Siebenlist: "In our team, each surgeon specializes in one, maximum two joints to be clinically and scientifically always 'up to date'. Only in this way can we fulfill our role model function as a university sports orthopedics by consistently optimizing the applied procedures and surgical techniques and offering our young colleagues and also colleagues from around the world a sound education."

Multiple awards as a reference center and training center of the most important national professional societies, such as the German Knee Society (DKG) or the Society for Arthroscopy and Joint Surgery (AGA), and international professional societies, such as the European Society for Surgery of the Shoulder and the Elbow (SECEC) and European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery & Arthroscopy (ESSKA), reflect the excellent reputation of the department as a training clinic.

Especially for people who are active in sports, the demand for flexibility and resilience is very high. Therefore, for Munich joint specialists, enthusiasm for sports is a basic prerequisite for tailoring medical treatment optimally to the needs and goals of their patients. For this reason, the Sports Orthopedics TUM organizes active sports events several times a year (e.g. mountain biking or skiing), not only as a team-building measure. "This equally promotes team spirit, sports understanding, and active fitness level," says Siebenlist.