Prof. Reinhard Windhager

Prof. Reinhard Windhager is one of Europe's most distinguished orthopedic oncologists, holding the Chair of Orthopedics at the Medical University of Vienna and serving as a senior consultant at AKH Wien — Austria's largest and most comprehensive university hospital. His career, spanning more than 30 years, has been devoted to improving outcomes for patients with primary bone tumours and advanced musculoskeletal disease through surgical innovation, materials science, and long-term outcome research.

The Medical University of Vienna's department of orthopedics is a nationally designated centre for the treatment of bone and soft tissue sarcomas, receiving referrals from across Austria and from neighbouring countries including Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and Slovenia. Prof. Windhager is the clinical and academic leader of this sarcoma programme, overseeing a multidisciplinary team that includes oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, and radiation therapists.

His principal clinical focus is limb-salvage surgery — the preservation of functional limbs in patients who would previously have required amputation for aggressive bone tumours such as osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, and chondrosarcoma. He performs modular endoprosthesis implantation using custom and off-the-shelf implants that replace resected bone and joint structures, restoring mobility and quality of life. His work on silver-coated implants for infection prevention has attracted international attention as a practical solution to one of the most serious complications in reconstructive surgery.

Beyond oncology, Prof. Windhager performs complex primary and revision total hip and knee arthroplasty, drawing on the same biomechanical expertise that underpins his tumour reconstruction work. He is a sought-after mentor and has trained numerous Austrian and international fellows in the subspecialty of orthopedic oncology.

Prof. Windhager completed his medical degree at the Medical University of Vienna, one of Europe's oldest and most prestigious medical faculties. He pursued specialist training in orthopedic surgery and traumatology at AKH Wien, developing expertise in both standard orthopedic procedures and the complex oncologic reconstructions that would define his career.

His doctoral research (PhD) examined biomechanical and biological aspects of bone tumour reconstruction, providing the academic foundation for his subsequent clinical work. He completed advanced training in orthopedic oncology and limb-salvage surgery through fellowships at leading European and international centres. He holds the Fellowship of the European Board of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (FEBOT) and is an active fellow of both ISOLS (International Society of Limb Salvage) and EMSOS (European Musculo-Skeletal Oncology Society). He has held the professorial chair of orthopedics at the Medical University of Vienna for many years, combining clinical leadership with a substantial academic output.

Prof. Windhager's primary surgical expertise lies in limb-salvage surgery for primary malignant bone tumours. For patients with osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, or chondrosarcoma affecting the femur, tibia, humerus, or pelvis, he performs wide surgical resection of the tumour with clear margins, followed by skeletal reconstruction using modular endoprostheses, intercalary allografts, or composite allograft-prosthesis constructs.

His pioneering work on silver-coated modular implants addresses the heightened infection risk associated with immunosuppressed oncology patients and large-volume implants. He also performs surgery for bone metastases requiring stabilisation or replacement of threatened segments, and complex revision arthroplasty for failed primary hip and knee replacements in non-oncologic patients. All surgical decisions are made within the multidisciplinary sarcoma team, integrating pre-operative chemotherapy, post-operative treatment planning, and rehabilitation into a comprehensive care pathway.

Prof. Windhager has authored and co-authored more than 250 peer-reviewed publications in leading orthopedic and oncology journals including the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, Annals of Surgical Oncology, and the Journal of Surgical Oncology. His body of work encompasses clinical outcome studies of limb-salvage procedures, biomechanical laboratory research, and translational studies of novel implant materials.

His research on silver-coated endoprostheses for infection prevention has been widely cited and adopted by implant manufacturers and surgical teams internationally. He has led and contributed to multi-centre European studies on the long-term outcomes of modular tumour prostheses, providing the largest available dataset on implant survivorship in bone tumour patients. He serves on the editorial boards of several major orthopedic journals and is a frequent invited speaker at ISOLS and EMSOS international congresses.

AKH Wien is one of Europe's largest university hospitals and has substantial experience treating patients from across Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. Prof. Windhager consults in German and English, and the hospital's international patient office — Wiener Gesundheitsverbund — provides multilingual administrative support, cost estimation, and care coordination for patients travelling to Vienna.

For patients with bone tumours or complex orthopedic conditions seeking a second opinion before surgery, video consultations are available to review imaging (MRI, CT, PET-CT), biopsy pathology, and prior surgical history. EU patients benefit from EHIC and S2 cross-border treatment referral arrangements. The Vienna public transport system and the hospital's central urban location make logistics manageable for international patients and their families.

Prof. Windhager has received numerous honours for his contributions to orthopedic oncology and reconstructive surgery. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the Austrian Society for Orthopaedics and Orthopaedic Surgery (ÖGO) and has received the society's highest research commendation. The International Society of Limb Salvage (ISOLS) awarded him its Research Award in recognition of his contributions to endoprosthesis innovation and long-term outcome data. The Medical University of Vienna has recognised him with its Research Prize for sustained academic excellence. He has served as president and board member of EMSOS, guiding European musculoskeletal oncology practice and education.