[DRGs of musculoskeletal diseases: consequences for orthopaedics and accident surgery]

The introduction of the new prospective payment system for inpatient care entails considerable changes for hospitals in Germany. The Australian Refined Diagnosis Related Groups (AR-DRGs), which form the basis for the German system, give the chance to estimate the consequences and implications for the specialty of orthopaedic surgery in Germany. Our study aims at highlighting the most important musculoskeletal diagnoses and to provide an initial economic forecast for them. The comparison with Australian data gives hints for operative and conservative-rehabilitative orthopaedic departments in respect to potentials and focal points for the development of novel patient management tools. The success of orthopaedic departments will depend in the future much more than now on organisational and management issues.