He is the defensive leader of the German national team and FC Bayern Munich—and thus one of the most important soccer players Germany currently has: Niklas Süle plays a central role in the plans for the 2020 European Championship. How quickly can the center back return after his cruciate ligament tear?
Prof. Dr. med. Christian Fink, co-founder and specialist at the “Gelenkpunkt” private practice, has long enjoyed an exceptionally good reputation among experts in the field. He gained even more international recognition in August 2019 when he successfully operated on Süle’s national teammate Leroy Sané. Since then, the renowned specialist in trauma surgery and traumatology has been the talk of the town.
Shortly after the highly publicized knee surgeries on Leroy Sané and Lucas Hernández, a book was published that further boosted the exceptional surgeon’s popularity: Together with skiing legend Christian Neureuther and Frank Bömers, Prof. Dr. Christian Fink published “Never Give Up – Fit and Vital with Osteoarthritis,” which also garnered significant attention. No wonder: Joint pain caused by osteoarthritis affects nearly one in four people in German-speaking countries—and the trend is on the rise. Thanks to an innovative program and many practical tips developed by the doctor and his patients, many osteoarthritis patients have already regained their vitality.
Euro 2020: Can the dream come true?
Now the highly renowned specialist is back in the headlines. The headlines read “Sané’s Doc Operates on Süle” and similar stories. Public interest is particularly high in Germany: Niklas Süle wants to get back in shape as quickly as possible after his injury to help FC Bayern in the final stretch of what is sure to be a thrilling season right up to the end—and to fulfill his dream of reaching the Euro finals. There is already intense speculation about whether that will work out.
At any rate, the center back is in the best of hands with Prof. Dr. Christian Fink and his skilled team. The specialist, who is also listed by the Leading Medicine Guide among the top experts in his field, is considered one of the best knee surgeons around. Given the successful surgeries performed this year alone at the “Gelenkpunkt” clinic on famous athletes, it was almost a foregone conclusion to many observers that the knee specialist from Innsbruck would be the one chosen.
Furthermore, Prof. Fink is not only renowned as a true master of his craft. He is also in high demand as a lecturer and speaker: well over a hundred publications and nearly five hundred lectures around the world have repeatedly reinforced his international reputation. It is therefore clear that the decision-makers at Bayern Munich and the German Football Association jointly pushed for the selection of Prof. Dr. Christian Fink. They know that all the components of a successful, particularly minimally invasive knee surgery are in place—and that rehabilitation can begin as early as possible.
Popular or not: Patients come first
It’s also clear that during his stay at the “Gelenkpunkt” practice, everything revolves around Niklas Süle, his personal needs, and his wishes. However, this isn’t due to the famous soccer player’s popularity—every patient takes center stage here. Whether it’s a national team player, a recreational athlete who twisted his knee while hiking, or a non-athletic couch potato: the entire team focuses its attention on the patients’ needs.
The surgery has been performed and was successful, as Prof. Dr. Christian Fink confirmed. No wonder: knees and cruciate ligaments were already the focus of the Innsbruck specialist’s interest during his two-year research stay at Duke University in the U.S.—and his habilitation thesis also dealt with knees and cruciate ligaments: “Pathology of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament and the Menisci of the Knee Joint—Clinical and Experimental Studies,” was the title.
A Top-Notch Specialist—But Constantly Conducting Research
Even though there is hardly a better specialist than him, Prof. Fink continues his research tirelessly. His entire clinical and scientific practice—in both traumatology and trauma surgery—is dedicated to new research, international exchange, and optimization. Through intensive basic research, he seeks new solutions that ultimately benefit his patients in clinical practice.
With meticulous attention to detail, all treatment outcomes are documented and evaluated in the clinic to enable meaningful international comparisons. The team in the Tyrolean capital has already presented well over 800 scientific lectures and publications. And, of course, Niklas Süle’s results are also included in this documentation—anonymized, as always. After all, this was certainly a key factor in the national team player’s choice of knee specialist at the practice in Innsbruck: The entire medical team at “Gelenkpunkt, Sports and Joint Surgery Innsbruck”—as it’s officially known—is renowned for its high level of trustworthiness and empathetic care.
Whether Süle can “completely forget” about the European Championship, as Uli Hoeneß speculated, or whether his dream of playing in the tournament will come true after all—no one can answer that at the moment. One thing is certain, however: the minimally invasive surgery was performed by a true master. So the stage is perfectly set.
Would you like to learn more about Leading Medicine Guide knee specialist Prof. Fink? Then visit Prof. Fink’s personal profile, where you can contact the joint expert directly—whether you’re seeking treatment or a second opinion straight from the specialist!
CF308KC, LMG19 – Image sources: (c) pixfly – Adobe Stock.
