Bernhard Georg Weber

Bernhard Georg ‘Hardy‘ Weber (1927 – 2002) was a Swiss surgeon.

Weber published extensively on many topics, including books on pseudoarthrosis, external fixators, and treatment of fractures in children. Eponymously affiliated with the Danis-Weber ankle fracture classification

Danis-Weber classification system was first described by Robert Danis in 1949 and later modified and popularised by Bernhard Georg Weber in 1972, 10 years after Danis’ death. This simple ankle fracture classification system is more commonly called the Weber ankle fracture classification.

Biography

Born in Switzerland 1927
Medical training at Zürich Balgrist Hospital
1959 – Oberarzt (senior surgeon) under Maurice E. Müller at St. Gallen, Switzerland
1967 – Chefarzt of Orthopaedics and Trauma at St. Gallen, Switzerland
Procalimed the “Minimax” slogan (maximum stability with a minimal approach) for minimally invasive hip surgery
1986 – Entered private practice
2000 – Honorary trustee of the AO Foundation
Died of heart failure aged 75 in 2002

Medical Eponyms

Danis-Weber ankle fracture classification (Danis 1949; Weber 1972)

The Danis-Weber classification is a method of describing ankle fractures. It has three categories, based primarily upon the fracture of the fibula. The Danis-Weber classification system was first described by Robert Danis in 1949 and later modified and popularised by Weber in 1972, 10 years after Danis’ death.

This simple ankle fracture classification system is more commonly called the Weber ankle fracture classification. It has three categories, based primarily upon the fracture of the fibula.

Original

English

DANIS (1948) empfiehlt seine rein pathologisch-anatomische Klassifizierung. Danach, in etwas modifizierter Form und anderer Darstellung, unterteilen auch wir die Sprunggelenksverletzungen.

Wir stellen an die Einteilung die Anforderung, daß uns das Röntgenbild auf einen Blick über die pathologisch-anatomische Läsion bis in alle Details orientiert, wobei es uns primär nicht interessiert, wie die betreffende Verletzung zustande gekommen ist. Die Pathologie im Gebiete Fibula – Syndesmose steht dabei im Zentrum des Interesses, und wir kommen zu folgender Klassifizierung der Verletzungen des Oberen Sprunggelenkes:

A. Malleolenbrüche mit Fibulaläsion distal der Syndesmose.

B. Malleolenbrüche mit Fibulaläsion in der höhe der Syndesmose.

C. Malleolenbrüche mit Fibulaläsion proximal der Syndesmose.

Weber BG, 1972: 51 [Original text as PDF]

DANIS (1948) recommends his purely pathological-anatomical classification. Then, in a slightly modified form and a different representation, we also subdivide the ankle injuries.

For the classification we suggest that the X-ray should orientate us to the pathological-anatomical lesion at a single glance, whereby it does not interest us primarily how the respective injury came about. The pathology in the area of the Fibula – syndesmosis is the centre of interest, and we arrive at the following classification of injuries to the upper ankle joint:

A. Malleolar fractures with Fibular lesion distal to the syndesmosis

B. Malleolar fractures with Fibular lesion at the height of the syndesmosis

C. Malleolar fractures with Fibular lesion proximal to the syndesmosis

Weber BG, 1972: 51-63 [Original text as PDF]

Further examples of injuries related to Weber A, B, C injuries discussed by Weber in 1972

Type A

Type B

Type C

Weber A classification a-f 1972 Danis-Weber

The variants of Type A

a. Fibular band rupture
b. Avulsion fracture of the tip of the fibula
c. Transverse fracture at the height of the articulation
d. Additional transverse fracture of the medial malleolus
e. Additional chisel fracture of the medial malleolus
f. Additional fracture of the posterior edge of the tibia, oriented medio-dorsally

Coronal slices: Syndesmosis bands are always intact

Weber BG, 1972: 51-63 [Original text as PDF]

Weber B classification a-c 1972 Danis-Weber

The variants of Type B

a. Isolated oblique fracture of the fibula
b. Additional rupture of the deltoid ligament
c. Additional fracture of the medial malleolus

Coronal slices: Syndesmosis bands either intact or damaged

Weber BG, 1972: 51-63 [Original text as PDF]

Weber C classification a-f 1972 Danis-Weber

The variants of Type C

In all cases higher (and rarely, missing) Fibular fracture

a. Additional rupture of the deltoid ligament
b. Additional fracture of the medial malleolus
c. Additional fracture of the posterior edge of the tibia, oriented latero-dorsally
d. En-bloc sagittal fracture of the tibial tubercle
e. Maisonneuve-style subcapital fracture of the fibula
f. Apparently “clean” burst without fracture of the fibula

Coronal slices: Syndesmosis bands obligately completely insufficient

Weber BG, 1972: 51-63 [Original text as PDF]

Major Publications

Suessenbach F, Weber BG. Epiphysenfugenverletzungen am distalen Unterschenkel Erfahrungen mit 41 operativ u. 12 konservativ behandelten Fällen. 1970
Weber BG. Aktuelle Probleme in der Chirurgie. Band 3. Die Verletzungen des oberen Sprunggelenkes [The injuries of the upper ankle] 2e, 1972: 51-63 [Original text as PDF]
Weber BG, Čech O. Pseudarthrosen: Pathophysiologie, Biomechanik, Therapie, Ergebnisse 1973 [Pseudarthrosis : pathophysiology, biomechanics, therapy, results, 1976]
Weber BG. Epiphysenfugenverletzungen am distalen Unterschenkel (Epiphysis joint injuries on the distal lower limb) Sondereinband – 1970
Weber BG, Brunner CF, Freuler F. Die Frakturenbehandlung bei Kindern und Jugendlichen [Treatment of fractures in children and adolescents] 1978
Brunner CF, Weber BG. Special techniques in internal fixation. 1982
Weber BG, Magerl F, Brunner CF. The external fixator : AO/ASIF-threaded rod system, spine-fixator. 1985
Weber BG, Magerl F. Fixateur externe. 1985

References

Biography

Bernhard Georg Weber, 1927-2002, The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. 2003; 85(3): 583
Amstutz HC. Bernhard Georg Weber (1927-2002), The Journal of Arthroplasty 2004; 19(8): S3: 3-4
Mostofi SB. Bernhard Georg Weber. in: Who’s Who in Orthopedics. 2005; 355-356
Bibliography. Weber, B. G. (Bernhard Georg). WorldCat Identities

Eponymous terms