[Registries as a tool for optimizing safety of endoprostheses. Experiences from other countries and the setup of the German arthroplasty register].

There has previously been no structured long-term documentation of the results of hip and knee prosthesis operations in Germany. This article presents the objectives, structure and data flow of the newly established German arthroplasty registry (EPRD). The EPRD is run as a subdivision of the German Society for Orthopedics and Orthopedic Surgery (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Orthopädie und orthopädische Chirurgie, DGOOC). It is dedicated to scientific principles and guarantees independency and immediate feedback to surgeons. The cooperation between insurance funds, hospitals, industry and scientific society is the key to success. Additional data acquisition and bureaucratic formalities are limited to a minimum and in particular there is no use of paper. Involving the health insurance funds provides access to relevant routine data. The implant documentation is facilitated by means of an implant library and barcode scanning in the operating room. The EPRD documents the survival of implants including the reasons for revision. Although the highest level of patient data protection is guaranteed, individual patients can be identified in case of implant recalls.