New biomarker makes diagnostics in arthroplasty more reliable

he German Society for Orthopedics and Orthopedic Surgery (DGOOC) recognizes outstanding scientific work with the Clinical Orthopedic Research Award. This was awarded to orthopedic surgeons from Magdeburg in 2018. The award was presented on behalf of the working group of the Orthopaedic University Hospital Magdeburg with Ann-Kathrin Meinshausen, Dr. Nicole Märtens, PD Dr. Alexander Berth, Dr. Jaqueline Färber, Prof. Dr. Friedemann Awiszus, Dr. Paolo Macor and Prof. Dr. Christoph H. Lohmann to Prof. Dr. Jessica Bertrand, who heads the research area Experimental Orthopaedics at the hospital.

Bild 1: Übergabe des Preises an Prof. Dr. Jessica Bertrand durch den Kongresspräsidenten Prof. Dr. Werner Siebert (re.) und den Generalsekretär Prof. Dr. Bernd Kladny

Bild 2: Mitarbeiter der Arbeitsgruppe der Orthopädischen Universitätsklinik (v.l.): Ann-Kathrin Meinshausen, Prof. Dr. Jessica Bertrand, PD Dr. Alexander Berth, Dr. Nicole Märtens, Prof. Dr. Christoph H. Lohmann und Dr. Jaqueline Färber

The biennial Clinical Orthopaedic Research Award, which comes with 10,000 euros, recognizes the groundbreaking work of the Magdeburg scientists on the topic of differential diagnostics in the context of periprosthetic infections. In this clinical-translational work, the researchers were able to identify a new marker that is elevatedly expressed in the periprosthetic tissue of virtually all infected endoprostheses, whereas this is not observed in aseptic conditions. This work convinced the jury, as a new biomarker can be derived from it.

If the indication is correct, the implantation of an artificial joint replacement is one of the most successful operations in medicine. "For the vast majority of patients, such an operation means a significant improvement in mobility, pain relief and thus quality of life," emphasizes clinic director Professor Lohmann. However, despite the successes of arthroplasty, a certain percentage of patients still undergo revision surgery within a ten-year period. Approximately 300 revision endoprosthesis operations are performed annually at the Orthopaedic University Hospital in Magdeburg. Prof. Lohmann. "The establishment of this new biomarker will be a significant advance in diagnostic safety for patients."

The award-winning work has been published in the international Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery.

The awarding of the Clinical Orthopaedic Research Prize to the Magdeburg scientists took place during the award ceremony of the German Congress of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery (DKOU) in Berlin on October 25, 2018.

Original publication: The terminal complement pathway is activated in septic but not in aseptic shoulder revision arthroplasties.  Meinshausen AK, Märtens N, Berth A, Färber J, Awiszus F, Macor P, Lohmann CH, Bertrand J. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2018 Oct;27(10):1837-1844.