Dr Franz Birkholtz Orthopaedic Surgeon

Dr Franz Birkholtz Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr Franz Birkholtz
Orthopaedic Surgeon
HealthCARE - Experience - Technology

Bone infections don't get spoken about much publicly, but they're one of the more complex problems in orthopaedics.If so...
15/08/2026

Bone infections don't get spoken about much publicly, but they're one of the more complex problems in orthopaedics.

If someone you know is dealing with an infection that isn't healing the way it should, this is worth a save and a share.

11/08/2026

The Vitruvian Man now has a home on Dr Franz's office wall, and it's not just decoration. Da Vinci's study of body proportion connects naturally to the work of limb lengthening, where restoring balance and proportion is the whole point.

08/08/2026

Circular fixators look complex, but the concept is simple.

Developed decades ago, it's a ring attached to the bone using tensioned wires, thin wires under real tension, creating a semi-rigid support. Adjusted gradually, it shifts bone into position, correcting deformities, lengthening or shortening bone, and holding fractures while they heal.

It's the foundation of limb reconstruction, and what makes some of orthopaedics' toughest cases treatable.

30/07/2026

Your body can grow new bone to fill a gap. Here's the technique that makes that possible.

Bone defects are some of the most difficult problems in limb reconstruction. When a patient is missing a piece of their own bone, that gap doesn't heal on its own. For these cases, we sometimes use a specialised technique called segmental bone transport. In simple terms, it means lengthening the portion of bone that's still there, gradually moving it into the gap left behind.

We use the patient's own bone to rebuild the missing piece, closing the gap and fully eliminating the defect.

28/07/2026

Deformity correction is not one procedure. It's a whole field of its own.

Every case starts the same way. A clinical assessment, X-rays or a CT scan, to understand exactly what's happening and why.

From there, paths differ completely. Sometimes it's as simple as guiding a child's remaining growth, like gently guiding a young tree. Other times it's multilevel osteotomies, corrected using ring fixators and specialised systems.

Same starting point, very different outcomes, depending on what the deformity actually needs.
Unsure what your case might need? That's what an assessment is for.

23/07/2026

When a broken bone does not heal properly, it is called a non-union. When bone becomes infected, it is called osteomyelitis. These two conditions are more connected than most people realise.

Infection makes it harder for bone to heal. It disrupts the biological process that knits a fracture back together, which means an infected bone is far more likely to end up as a non-union.

It works the other way too. A fracture that has not healed, especially one with a metal plate or nail still in place, creates the ideal environment for a low-grade infection to take hold and persist quietly over time.

This is why patients who are still experiencing pain, swelling, or delayed healing long after a fracture are worth investigating thoroughly. It may not be one problem. It may be both. If this sounds familiar, speak to your GP about a referral for specialist assessment.

17/07/2026

One week left to register for South Africa's first osseointegration symposium.

On 31 July, Dr Franz joins Prof Nando Ferreira and the wider Osseo Stellies faculty in Stellenbosch for a full day on osseointegration limb replacement, from the clinical science to live patient demonstrations and real case discussions.

Built for orthopaedic surgeons, prosthetists, physios and allied health professionals in amputee care. Register by 24 July, CPD accreditation is in progress.

Dr Franz breaks it down in this reel, register through the link below:
https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/019e3f8d06cb71158996e7a9972f06d5

16/07/2026

Metal that once held a bone together can, years later, become the thing causing pain.

Infection sometimes takes hold around old hardware, plates or screws from a previous surgery. When that happens, removing the hardware is often part of getting the infection under control. It's not just taking something out. It's removing the source and treating what's left behind.

Bone infections don't always show up early, and they don't behave the same way twice. That's why each case needs its own plan rather than a standard protocol.

15/07/2026

This tiny wire is the only thing standing between a broken bone and a healed one. Today it comes out.

A Kirschner wire (K-wire) is used to stabilise a wrist fracture, it's temporary by design. Once the bone has healed enough to hold its own shape, the wire comes out, often as a quick procedure.

14/07/2026

Most people have never heard the word osseointegration until it becomes the only option worth considering.

Dr Franz sat down with Good Hope FM yesterday to unpack exactly that. What it is, who it’s for, and how it’s changing the conversation around limb loss and prosthetics.

If you’ve ever wondered how a prosthetic can attach straight to bone instead of a socket, this one’s worth a listen.

Full interview - https://omny.fm/shows/leigh-anne-williams/sabc-disability-360-dr-franz-birkholtz

Address

Mediclinic Winelands Orthopaedic Hospital
Stellenbosch
7600

Telephone

+27218616420

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