Gelenkpunkt - Sports and Joint Surgery Innsbruck

Whether Austrian ski stars, German and Italian national soccer players, or French world champions: The renowned private medical practice for orthopedics, trauma surgery, and sports traumatology in Innsbruck is repeatedly the focus of international media coverage. After all, when it comes to enabling athletes competing worldwide to return to competition as quickly as possible, “Praxis Gelenkpunkt” is among the top choices in all of Europe. But the highly sought-after facility is also a popular destination for recreational athletes and anyone seeking the greatest possible mobility. The clinic’s vast expertise is provided by four renowned male specialists and one renowned female specialist.

These five exceptional specialists work together to offer minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery and reconstructive joint surgery at the highest level. These specialists are recognized as proven experts, particularly when it comes to injuries, damage, and conditions affecting the major joints.

There are primarily three areas of focus with which these five top physicians have been familiar for many years: These include, on the one hand, all aspects of knee, hip, and shoulder surgery, the treatment of sports injuries and overuse syndromes of all kinds— and the use of knee, hip, and shoulder prostheses.

International Reputation: Top-Level Specialists

To maintain and further enhance the high standard that the “Praxis Gelenkpunkt” consistently brings to the international press, these versatile specialists rely on a global network: Through an international network of outstanding sports medicine specialists and orthopedic surgeons, the specialists have created a professional framework that impressively supports their daily medical practice: Numerous research projects, important publications, and the implementation of innovative technologies developed in-house reinforce the expertise at this private practice in Innsbruck.

Prof. Dr. med. univ. Elmar Herbst, PhD is one of the leading specialists in orthopedics, trauma surgery, and modern knee surgery. A native of Bolzano (South Tyrol, born in 1989), he completed his medical studies at the Medical University of Innsbruck, where he earned his doctorate in 2013. He then furthered his scientific training with a PhD program in musculoskeletal science.
His residency in orthopedicsand Trauma Surgery took him to the Klinikum rechts der Isar at the Technical University of Munich and to the University Hospital of Münster. There, he most recently served as the Executive Senior Physician. In 2024, he was awarded the title of Adjunct Professor at the University of Münster in recognition of his scientific and clinical achievements.
His medical practice focuses on the surgical and conservative treatment of knee injuries. His areas of special expertise include ligament surgery, meniscus surgery, cartilage surgery, and joint-preserving osteotomies. In addition, Prof. Herbst has extensive experience in sports traumatology as well as in the diagnosis and treatment of tendon injuries—in both competitive and recreational athletes.

Priv.-Doz. Dr. med. Christian Hoser is a board-certified specialist in trauma surgery and sports traumatology, as well as a board-certified specialist in orthopedics and traumatology. A native of Linz, he completed several stints abroad in the U.S. and New Zealand as part of his specialty training. He earned his doctorate in medicine in 1991 and obtained his board certification intrauma surgery and the subspecialty of sports traumatology, as well as the title of specialist in orthopedics and traumatology in 2019. Dr. Hoser is also considered a co-founder of the “Praxis Gelenkpunkt.” His primary areas of expertise are joint surgery, arthroscopic procedures, and the treatment of tendon injuries. As a member of the ÖGS (Austrian Society for Sports Medicine) and the ÖGU (Austrian Society for Trauma Surgery), Dr. Hoser is one of the country’s leading specialists in his fields and also enjoys a strong international reputation. For example, he is a member of the “European Society of Sports Medicine, Knee Surgery, and Arthroscopy,” where he has served as the Austrian representative since 2006, and is a member of ISAKOS (International Society for Arthroscopic Knee Surgery and Sports Medicine Orthopedics).

Priv.-Doz. Dr. med. Peter Gföller, a specialist in trauma surgery and sports traumatology, practices in his hometown: Not only was he born in Innsbruck, but he also studied in the Tyrolean capital—and earned his doctorate there in 1996. After completing his residency, he underwent specialty training as a trauma surgeon in Innsbruck and Hall in Tirol. Until 2008, he worked as a senior physician at the University Clinic for Trauma Surgery in Innsbruck. One of his primary areas of expertise is the hip, where he is equally skilled in hip arthroscopy and hip replacement surgery. The knee joint is also one of his areas of expertise; here, he is recognized as a leading expert, particularly in areas such as ligament reconstructions, arthroscopic surgery, and joint replacement. Dr. Gföller is also a member of the Austrian Society for Trauma Surgery and the AGA (Society for Arthroscopy and Joint Surgery). In addition, he is an active member of the ASHA (Austrian Society for Hip Arthroscopy), the ISHA (International Society for Hip Arthroscopy), and the ESSKA (European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery & Arthroscopy).

Prof. Dr. med. Sepp Braun is a specialist in orthopedics and traumatology. A native of Munich, he began his residency at the Klinikum rechts der Isar at the Technical University of Munich, but then continued it at the Berufsgenossenschaftliche Unfallklinik Murnau. After a one-year fellowship at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado, he finally completed his training at the University Medical Center Freiburg. Before joining the team at the “Praxis Gelenkpunkt” in Innsbruck in 2017 in 2017, he worked as a senior resident and chief resident in sports orthopedics at the Klinikum rechts der Isar, affiliated with the Technical University of Munich. His clinical areas of expertise are diverse: they include arthroscopic and open shoulder surgery as well as all aspects of shoulder arthroplasty. He is also among the internationally renowned specialists in the fields of general sports orthopedics and sports traumatology. Prof. Braun is also a member of numerous national and international professional societies. These include, among others, the Society for Arthroscopy and Joint Surgery (AGA), where he was elected spokesperson for the executive board,, the DGU (German Society for Trauma Surgery), and the DGOU (German Society for Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery), where he serves as the AGA representative. He is also a member of the ESSKA (European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery & Arthroscopy), the ESMA (European Sports Medicine Association), and the GOTS (Society for Orthopedics and Traumatology in Sports).

DDr. med. Elisabeth Abermann perfectly complements the team at the private practice with her clinical areas of expertise: In addition to knee surgery, these include general sports orthopedics and the full spectrum of sports traumatology. Thenative of Innsbruck first earned a degree in dentistry before following her true calling and completing her training in trauma surgery at the Pyhrn-Eisenwurzen Clinic in Kirchdorf and the Salzkammergut Clinic in Bad Ischl. She then moved to the Feldkirch Regional Hospital – and completed several fellowship stints, which took her, among other places, to one of Canada’s leading institutions for sports traumatology, the Sunnybrook Trauma Center in Toronto. Paris was also among the places she worked. Finally, she completed the orthopedic portion of her training at the Schulthess Clinic in Zurich. Most recently, she has been working at the Tauernklinikum Zell am See/Mittersill since 2018. DDr. Abermann also has an excellent international network—as a member of the ESSKA (European Society of Sports Medicine, Knee Surgery, and Arthroscopy) and the Society for Arthroscopy and Joint Surgery (AGA).

It is not only five renowned top physicians who contribute to the high reputation of “Praxis Gelenkpunkt”— but also five dedicated team players who, in addition to their high level of medical expertise, place great value on other factors. These include personalized care as well as top-quality medical treatment: The fact that empathy plays a very important role in modern medicine is demonstrated anew every day in Innsbruck.

Time for Patients: A High Degree of Empathy

Time plays a major role in human interaction and in healing processes. The specialists at “Praxis Gelenkpunkt,” as well as everyone on the highly qualified team, take this time for their patients. This begins with providing detailed information right from the start—because that is the only way to build a relationship of trust. Here, in addition to their wealth of experience, they convey the sense that patients are always treated as equals when receiving information.

Availability and flexibility are also key factors in the high level of trust that people place in the “Praxis Gelenkpunkt” team: Through an emergency number, patients can always reach someone, seven days a week. Flexible appointment scheduling, including evenings and weekends, further underscores the exceptional nature of the practice.

And, of course, scientific research at the private orthopedic and trauma surgery practice in Innsbruck is a very significant part of its daily medical work. On the one hand, a great deal of basic research is conducted here; on the other hand, applied clinical research plays a particularly significant role for patients. Treatment outcomes are documented and evaluated in detail using standardized evaluation forms. This makes it possible to conduct meaningful international comparisons, while also benefiting greatly from the already above-average global exchange among specialists. The number of scientific publications and presentations the team has already produced is now in the four-digit range.

Focus on Research: Founding Its Own Institutes

Two further examples illustrate just how strongly scientific thinking is embedded at the Innsbruck facility: To further optimize the quality of research, a dedicated institute was established within UMIT. The “Private University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics, and Technology” thus boasts a top-tier “Research Unit for Sports Medicine of the Musculoskeletal System and Injury Prevention” (OSMI), which offers numerous courses and continuing education programs. In cooperation with UMIT and OSMI, a dedicated education, research, and training facility was even established in 2018 on the premises of the “Privatklinik Hochrum.” The “Surgical Skills Institute” (SI) is a state-of-the-art laboratory equipped with two workstations for arthroscopic and open surgical procedures. Among other things, it is used for corporate workshops, continuing education, product development, testing new implants or instruments, and research projects.