[Orthopedic traumatologic rehabilitation--a superfluous anachronism?]

In orthopaedic-traumatologic rehabilitation, muscular atrophies, joint contractures, bone loss and other restrictions of the locomotor system can be prevented or at least diminished. After an operation in particular, decreases in physical capacity of the locomotor and cardiopulmonary systems are common, which can be countered by special training therapies. Therefore, an effective rehabilitation programme is necessary including specific therapy forms and training concepts based on scientific findings in sports medicine, performance physiology and training sciences, in orthopaedics and traumatology as well as further medical disciplines. Determination of the load on the locomotor system and examination of cardiopulmonary capacity are important basic elements of rehabilitation training. Rehabilitation should include intense muscular and regular endurance training where loads must be tuned to the patient's individual capacity. Overuse syndromes can be avoided by planning regeneration breaks between training units and by continuously controlling the individual parameters of the patient. The costs of intense rehabilitation may at first seem high; however, one year after an operation the financial expenditures in those patients who did not receive intense rehabilitation exceeded all costs incurred for an operation and additional rehabilitation.