NBIA disorders are often accompanied by restricted movement, alternating muscle tension and involuntary cramps (dystonia), causing the muscles to become increasingly shortened. Under certain conditions, myofasciotomy can provide some relief. Dr. Peter Bernius, Chief Physician of the Center for Pediatric and Neuroorthopaedics at the Schön Clinic Munich Harlaching, has graciously agreed to present this treatment option to us in an online lecture. All NBIA families were invited, as well as their doctors and therapists. Dr. Peter Bernius presented his work to us in a very vivid lecture, which we were allowed to record in order to make it accessible to other interested parties. Thank you very much for that!

Myofasciotomy – a minimally invasive treatment for shortened muscles

Very early on in his orthopaedic training at the Oskar-Helene-Heim, University Hospital Berlin, Dr. Bernius specialized in the treatment of children with and without disabilities and further expanded this knowledge as a senior physician at the University Hospital in Freiburg. Since 2001, he has been head of the Center for Pediatric and Neuroorthopaedics at the Schön Clinic in Munich Harlaching. In recent years, he has focused on gentle surgical methods and functional treatment of children with disabilities. Together with his team of doctors, he performs "myofasciotomies" on muscles of the entire body in order to give stiff children the opportunity to move again. Comparable operations are also referred to as "ulzibat surgery" or "SPLM". Knowing that every pause in movement reduces mobility and strength, he tries to avoid long periods of immobilization in plasters with minimally invasive surgical methods. For him, active movement takes precedence over passive stabilization. This also applies to further treatment. His efforts are aimed at detecting the developing problems as early as possible and then having to treat them prophylactically and not later reconstructively or palliatively.
Dr. Bernius covers the entire field of paediatric orthopaedics in the knowledge that form is determined by function, especially during growth. The goal is therefore to achieve the best possible, age-appropriate function.

An overview of all online lectures can be found here: Online lectures