National designation
The VBGC has deen designated as the first Expert Center in the field in Austria by the Federal Ministery Republic of Austria in July 2020
International designation
The VBGC has been designated as full member of the BOND ERN from 2021 onwards after a designation process and audit by ACSA
Center of Expertise for
Rare Bone and Growth Disorders
The Vienna Center of Exterise for rare bone diseases is a consortium of three highly specialized departments located at three different health care providers.
Medical University of Vienna
At the Medical University of Vienna/ University Hospital Vienna the Departments of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, the Department of Orthopedics and Trauma-Surgery and Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy host dedicated teams caring for patients with Rare Disorders of Bone, Mineralization and Growth.
According to the Mission Statement of the Medical University of Vienna, this includes expert clinical care, teaching and research.
Orthopedic Hospital Speising
The Pediatric Orthopedic Department at the Orthopedic Hospital Speising provides the diagnostics and treatment of pediatric orthopedic diseases focusing primarily, but not only, on rare bone diseases with the availability of a multidisciplinary treatment setting if needed.
Our team consists of surgeons specializing in various fields including lower limb reconstruction, pediatric foot surgery, upper extremity surgery, hip surgery, as well as neuroorthopedic surgery.
Hanusch Hospital
The bone unit of the 1st Medical Department of the Hanusch Hospital consists of DVO-certified specialist for common and rare bone diseases, coming from the field of internal medicine, endocrinology or rheumatology.
Interdisciplinary collaboration with the departments for orthopedic surgery, genetics, radiology and physical therapy ensures an optimal patient care.
Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Osteology
The Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Osteology (LBIO) is a scientific core center within a multidisciplinary clinical network located at the Hanusch Hospital of OEGK and the AUVA Trauma Centre Meidling targeting diagnosis and treatment of bone and joint diseases.
The LBIO has a long-lasting experience in studying bone at all hierarchical levels combining a wide range of techniques (including light and electron microscopy, spectroscopy and cell biology).
Univ. Prof. Dr. Gabriele Häusler
Representative
AKH / MedUniWien
Prim. Doz. Dr. Rudolf Ganger, PhD
Representative Orthopedic Hospital Speising
Assoc. Prof. Priv.-Doz. Dr. Roland Kocijan
Representative
Hanusch Hospital.
Priv.-Doz. Dr. Nadja Fratzl-Zelman
Representative Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Osteology
FOR PATIENTS
For patients, please find information via the patient’s section and the websites of the individual VBGC clinical centers .
FÜR PATIENTEN
Für patientenbezogene Informationen erlauben wir uns, auf die Webseiten der einzelnen Standorte des VBGC Zentrums zu verweisen.
TEAMS
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL VIENNA
PEDIATRICS
PEDIATRIC RADIOLOGY
Assoz. Prof. Priv. Doz. Dr. Janina Patsch, PhD
Janina Patsch is the diagnostic imaging expert of the VBGC. She combines diagnostic expertise with a strong scientific background in bone research (a PhD in endocrinology and metabolism) .
PEDIATRIC ORTHOPEDICS
Ao. Univ. Prof. Dr.
Catharina Chiari, MSc
Priv. Doz. Dr.
Alexander Kolb
The pediatric orthopedic team is located at the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology (Head: Prof. Dr. Reinhard Windhager). Thanks to the close collaboration between all orthopedic subspecialties including tumor and spine we are able to provide the whole spectrum of pediatric and adolescent orthopedics to our patients with rare bone diseases, also in the transition to adulthood.
We have a strong commitment to the scientific community (Board member of the EPOS - European Pediatric Orthopedic Society, Member of VKO - German Speaking Association of Pediatric Orthopedics),
Prof. Catharina Chiari is the president of the Austrian Orthopedic Society for the period 2022/23.
ORTHOPHEDIC HOSPITAL SPEISING
PEDIATRIC ORTHOPEDICS
The Pediatric Orthopedic Department at the Orthopedic Hospital Speising provides the diagnostics and treatment of pediatric orthopedic diseases focusing primarily, but not only, on rare bone diseases with the availability of a multidisciplinary treatment setting if needed. Our team consists of surgeons specializing in various fields including lower limb reconstruction, pediatric foot surgery, upper extremity surgery, hip surgery, as well as neuroorthopedic surgery.
All VBGC pediatric orthopedic surgeons are members of EPOS (European Pediatric Orthopedic Society), as well as VKO (German-speaking Association of Pediatric Orthopedics). Furthermore, various international clinical and research collaborations ensure the best medical care for our patients. This is achieved by a multidisciplinary approach to research of rare bone diseases, especially x-linked hypophosphataemia, achondroplasia and osteogenesis imperfecta, and the implementation of new findings into clinical patient care. Attention is paid to the quality of life of patients and the transition from child to adult. Topics close to patients’ demands are determined through cooperation with advocacy groups to provide optimal patient care.
HANUSCH HOSPITAL
Assoc. Prof. Priv.-Doz.
Dr. Roland Kocijan
Dr. Judith Haschka
The bone unit of the 1st Medical Department of the Hanusch Hospital consists of DVO-certified specialist for common and rare bone diseases, coming from the field of internal medicine, endocrinology or rheumatology. Interdisciplinary collaboration with the departments for orthopedic surgery, genetics, radiology and physical therapy ensures an optimal patient care.
Priv.-Doz. Dr. Nadja Fratzl-Zelman
Biologist
Dr. Stéphane Blouin
Biologist
Priv. Doz. Dr. Markus Hartmann
Physicist
Mag. Dr. Barbara Misof
Physicist
News & projects
Special Issue WMW
Special issue in the Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift: Vienna Bone and Growth Center – Care and Research in the Field of Rare Diseases
National Reference Center
As part of the national strategy for rare disorders, the VBGC has been designated as national center of expertise for bone and growth disorders.
Wachstum.at
Up to date growth charts fpr professionals and patients based on Austrian reference data including disease-specific charts for achondroplasia
Patient groups
Info video by Pro Rare Austria on the importance of patient groups in rare diseases – in ccoperation with the Medical University of Vienna
2021
Willegger M, Schreiner M, Kolb A, Windhager R, Chiari C. Epiphysiodesis for the treatment of tall stature and leg length discrepancy. Wien Med Wochenschr. 2021 Apr;171(5-6):133-141. doi: 10.1007/s10354-021-00828-8. Epub 2021 Mar 18.
Kolb A, Willegger M, Chiari C, Windhager R. Behandlung der Patellainstabilität. Z Orthop Unfall. 2021 Apr 13. German. doi: 10.1055/a-1295-0533. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33851401.
Paley D, Shannon CE, Nogueira M, Chiari C, Harris M. Can Adding BMP2 Improve Outcomes in Patients Undergoing the SUPERhip Procedure? Children (Basel). 2021 Jun 10;8(6):495. doi: 10.3390/children8060495.
Salom M, Chiari C, Alessandri JMG, Willegger M, Windhager R, Sanpera I. Diagnosis and staging of malignant bone tumours in children: what is due and what is new? J Child Orthop. 2021 Aug 20;15(4):312-321. doi:10.1302/1863-2548.15.210107. PMID: 34476020; PMCID: PMC8381400.
Döring K, Puchner S, Vertesich K, Funovics PT, Hobusch G, Sulzbacher I, Chiari C, Windhager R. Results in the surgical treatment of aneurysmal bone cysts – A retrospective data analysis. Orthop Traumatol Surg Res. 2021 Oct 1:103095. doi: 10.1016/j.otsr.2021.103095. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34601159.
Pichler KM, Fischer A, Alphonsus J, Chiari C, Schmidt S, Kenn M, Schreiner W, Weinmann D, Rothbauer M, Windhager R, Gabius HJ, Toegel S. Galectin network in osteoarthritis: galectin-4 programs a pathogenic signature of gene and effector expression in human chondrocytes in vitro. Histochem Cell Biol. 2021 Nov 30. doi: 10.1007/s00418-021-02053-1.
Grillari J, Mäkitie RE, Kocijan R, Haschka J, Vázquez DC, Semmelrock E, et al. Circulating miRNAs in bone health and disease. Bone. United States; 2021;145:115787.
Radler C, Mindler GT, Stauffer A, Weiß C, Ganger R. Limb Lengthening With Precice Intramedullary Lengthening Nails in Children and Adolescents. J Pediatr Orthop. 2022 Feb 1;42(2):e192-e200. doi: 10.1097/BPO.0000000000002016. PMID: 34799542.
Ganger R., Mindler G.T. (2020) Kongenitale Tibiapseudarthrose. In: Engelhardt M., Raschke M. (eds) Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie. Springer Reference Medizin. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-54673-0_136-1
Mindler GT, Stauffer A, Ganger R.Wien Med Wochenschr. 2021 Apr;171(5-6):126-132. doi: 10.1007/s10354-020-00805-7. Epub 2021 Jan 29. Leg lengthening and deformity correction in rare bone diseases: a multidisciplinary approach.
Mindler GT, Kranzl A, Stauffer A, Kocijan R, Ganger R, Radler C, Haeusler G, Raimann A.Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2021 Sep 27;12:754084. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2021.754084. eCollection 2021.PMID: 34646241 Free PMC article. Lower Limb Deformity and Gait Deviations Among Adolescents and Adults With X-Linked Hypophosphatemia.
Siegert S, Mindler GT, Brücke C, Kranzl A, Patsch J, Ritter M, Janecke AR, Vodopiutz J.Genes (Basel). 2021 Oct 20;12(11):1648. doi: 10.3390/genes12111648. Expanding the Phenotype of the FAM149B1-Related Ciliopathy and Identification of Three Neurogenetic Disorders in a Single Family.
Adams J, Wilson N, Hurkmans E, Bakkers M, Balážová P, Baxter M, C. Chiari et al. 2019 EULAR points to consider for non-physician health professionals to prevent and manage fragility fractures in adults 50 years or older. Ann Rheum Dis. 2021;80:57–64.
2020
Haschka J, Kraus DA, Behanova M, Huber S, Bartko J, Schanda JE, et al. Fractal-Based Analysis of Bone Microstructure in Crohn’s Disease: A Pilot Study. J Clin Med. 2020;9.
Schneider E, Stamm T, Schinhan M, Peloschek P, Windhager R, Chiari C. Total Hip Arthroplasty after Previous Chiari Pelvic Osteotomy-A Retrospective Study of 301 Dysplastic Hips. J Arthroplasty. United States; 2020;35:3638–43.
Raimann A, Dangl A, Javanmardi A, Greber-Platzer S, Egerbacher M, Pietschmann P, et al. Elevation of phosphate levels impairs skeletal myoblast differentiation. Cell Tissue Res. 2020;382:427–32.
Kolb A, Chiari C, Schreiner M, Heisinger S, Willegger M, Rettl G, et al. Development of an electronic navigation system for elimination of examiner-dependent factors in the ultrasound screening for developmental dysplasia of the hip in newborns. Sci Rep. 2020;10:16407.
Pecherstorfer C, Simon D, Unbehend S, Ellmann H, Englbrecht M, Hartmann F, et al. A Detailed Analysis of the Association between Urate Deposition and Erosions and Osteophytes in Gout. ACR Open Rheumatol. 2020;2:565–72.
Feichtinger X, Kocijan R, Mittermayr R, Baierl A, Schanda J, Wakolbinger R, et al. Fracture patterns in patients with multiple fractures: the probability of multiple fractures and the most frequently associated regions. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg. Germany; 2020;46:1151–8. 1
Culen C, Herle M, Ertl D-A, Fröhlich-Reiterer E, Blümel P, Wagner G, et al. Less ready for adulthood?-Turner syndrome has an impact on transition readiness. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2020;93:449–55. 11.
Chiari C, Grgurevic L, Bordukalo-Niksic T, Oppermann H, Valentinitsch A, Nemecek E, et al. Recombinant Human BMP6 Applied Within Autologous Blood Coagulum Accelerates Bone Healing: Randomized Controlled Trial in High Tibial Osteotomy Patients. J Bone Miner Res. 2020;35:1893–903. 12.
Bartko J, Reichardt B, Kocijan R, Klaushofer K, Zwerina J, Behanova M. Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Nationwide Study of Hip Fracture and Mortality Risk After Hip Fracture. J Crohns Colitis. England; 2020;14:1256–63. 13.
Scheider P, Ganger R, Farr S. Temporary epiphysiodesis in adolescent patients with ulnocarpal impaction syndrome: a preliminary case series of seven wrists. J Pediatr Orthop B. United States; 2020; 14.
Fratzl-Zelman N, Gamsjaeger S, Blouin S, Kocijan R, Plasenzotti P, Rokidi S, et al. Alterations of bone material properties in adult patients with X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH). J Struct Biol. United States; 2020;211:107556. 15.
Mindler GT, Kranzl A, Stauffer A, Haeusler G, Ganger R, Raimann A. Disease-specific gait deviations in pediatric patients with X-linked hypophosphatemia. Gait Posture. England; 2020;81:78–84. 16.
Mindler GT, Kranzl A, Radler C. Normalization of Forefoot Supination After Tibialis Anterior Tendon Transfer for Dynamic Clubfoot Recurrence. J Pediatr Orthop. United States; 2020;40:418–24. 17.
Hadzimuratovic B, Mittelbach A, Bahrami A, Zwerina J, Kocijan R. Confluent abscesses in autochthonous back muscles after spinal injections : A case report and narrative review of the literature on low back pain and spinal injections. Wien Med Wochenschr. Austria; 2020; 19.
Cabral WA, Fratzl-Zelman N, Weis M, Perosky JE, Alimasa A, Harris R, et al. Substitution of murine type I collagen A1 3-hydroxylation site alters matrix structure but does not recapitulate osteogenesis imperfecta bone dysplasia. Matrix Biol. 2020;90:20–39. 20.
Schachinger F, Wiener S, Carvalho MF, Weber M, Ganger R, Farr S. Evaluation of radiological instability signs in the distal radioulnar joint in children and adolescents with arthroscopically-verified TFCC tears. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2020;140:993–9. 21.
Maier I, Liu J, Ruegger PM, Deutschmann J, Patsch JM, Helbich TH, et al. Intestinal bacterial indicator phylotypes associate with impaired DNA double-stranded break sensors but augmented skeletal bone micro-structure. Carcinogenesis. 2020;41:483–9. 22.
Kang H, Jha S, Ivovic A, Fratzl-Zelman N, Deng Z, Mitra A, et al. Somatic SMAD3-activating mutations cause melorheostosis by up-regulating the TGF-β/SMAD pathway. J Exp Med. 2020;217. 24.
Simon D, Haschka J, Muschitz C, Kocijan A, Baierl A, Kleyer A, et al. Bone microstructure and volumetric bone mineral density in patients with hyperuricemia with and without psoriasis. Osteoporos Int. England; 2020;31:931–9. 25.
Schinhan M, Toegel S, Weinmann D, Schneider E, Chiari C, Gruber M, et al. Biological Regeneration of Articular Cartilage in an Early Stage of Compartmentalized Osteoarthritis: 12-Month Results. Am J Sports Med. United States; 2020;48:1338–46. 26.
Raimann A, Mindler GT, Kocijan R, Bekes K, Zwerina J, Haeusler G, et al. Multidisciplinary patient care in X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets: one challenge, many perspectives. Wien Med Wochenschr. 2020;170:116–23. 27.
Park M, Cook AR, Lim JT, Sun Y, Dickens BL. A Systematic Review of COVID-19 Epidemiology Based on Current Evidence. Journal of Clinical Medicine. Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute; 2020;9:967. 28.
Stauffer A, Schwarz Y, Uranyi M, Schachinger F, Girsch W, Ganger R, et al. Outcomes after thumb carpometacarpal joint stabilization with an abductor pollicis longus tendon strip for the treatment of chronic instability. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2020;140:275–82. 29.
Kocijan R, Weigl M, Skalicky S, Geiger E, Ferguson J, Leinfellner G, et al. MicroRNA levels in bone and blood change during bisphosphonate and teriparatide therapy in an animal model of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Bone. United States; 2020;131:115104. 30.
Wilson N, Hurkmans E, Adams J, Bakkers M, Balážová P, Baxter M, et al. Prevention and management of osteoporotic fractures by non-physician health professionals: a systematic literature review to inform EULAR points to consider. RMD Open. 2020;6. 32.
Scheider P, Ganger R, Farr S. Complications of hardware removal in pediatric upper limb surgery: A retrospective single-center study of 317 patients. Medicine (Baltimore). 2020;99:e19010. 33.
Raimann A, Mehany SN, Feil P, Weber M, Pietschmann P, Boni-Mikats A, et al. Decreased Compressional Sound Velocity Is an Indicator for Compromised Bone Stiffness in X-Linked Hypophosphatemic Rickets (XLH). Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2020;11:355. 34.
Kocijan R, Klaushofer K, Misof BM. Osteoporosis Therapeutics 2020. Handb Exp Pharmacol. Germany; 2020;262:397–422. 35.
Ertl D-A, Chen J, Gleiss A, Janu D, Sagmeister S, Raimann A, et al. Diagnostic Value of Serum Acid-Labile Subunit Alone and in combination with IGF-I and IGFBP-3 in the Diagnosis of Growth Hormone Deficiency. Horm Res Paediatr. Switzerland; 2020;93
PATIENT ORGANISATIONS
OI Austria
Osteogenesis imperfecta
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Phosphatdiabetes
X-linked hypophosphatemia
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BKMF
Short stature
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ProRare
Rare Disease platform
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