[Biomechanical Assessment in Orthopaedic Patients: Opportunities and Challenges]

Functional diagnostics, such as biomechanical testing in orthopaedic patients, is an important and frequently discussed topic in both the literature and clinical practice. It represents a multidisciplinary approach involving medical doctors, physiotherapists, sports scientists, and other disciplines. There is controversy regarding terminology and applications in clinical settings. This article provides an overview of the most common terms and methods. Functional diagnostics are used in the diagnosis of disorders related to human locomotion and functional deficits. The primary focus is on developing and evaluating the effectiveness of prevention or rehabilitation programs. Functional diagnostics are also used to evaluate patients before and after surgeries, such as ACL repair, to assess improvement and outcomes. The Functional Diagnostics Committee of the German Society of Orthopaedic and Traumatological Sports Medicine (Gesellschaft für Orthopädisch-Traumatologische Sportmedizin, "GOTS") has summarized the recent literature in this field and developed a practically based approach for the implementation of functional testing in orthopaedics.