Can you tell me a little about your research area?
I research diseases and conditions of the hip joint that affect children but can also cause pain and osteoarthritis in adulthood. One example is hip dysplasia, where the acetabulum does not sufficiently cover the femoral head. Hip dysplasia occurs in 0.5-1% of newborns in Sweden and is almost always detected at the maternity ward. When diagnosed early, treatment is simple and
successful. Together with my doctoral student Adam Sand, I study the effects of early treatment of dysplasia in infants.
Adults can also have hip dysplasia, which may lead to problems as an inadequately covered femoral head can become unstable and cause localized high stress on the cartilage. Some individuals with dysplasia experience pain and develop osteoarthritis. Interestingly, it is currently unknown when adult dysplasia develops, but it is established before full growth. It is likely not those who had dysplasia as infants who later develop the condition as adults.
Another condition I research is cam morphology. This means the femoral head is not entirely round but has a bony overgrowth between the femoral head and femoral neck, similar to a camshaft in a car. Such an overgrowth prevents a perfect fit between the femoral head and acetabulum when bending and internally rotating the hip joint. If this causes pain, it is referred to as hip impingement.
The most common hip disease among teenagers is slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE). In SCFE, the femoral head slips at the growth plate. Treatment consists of a simple surgery to stop further slipping. However, due to the slippage, individuals may develop varying degrees of cam morphology. This can lead to pain, hip impingement, and, over time, an increased risk of osteoarthritis.
Can you talk about your ongoing research projects?
My doctoral student, Rebecka Vinge (defense date: May 28, 2025), has studied hip dysplasia in adults and found that it occurs in 5% of the adult population in Sweden. Awareness among radiologists was found to be very low, as only 7% of cases of dysplasia were noted in radiology reports. Together with colleagues in the Netherlands, we have also examined the long-term consequences of hip dysplasia. While hip dysplasia increases the risk of hip pain and osteoarthritis, the risk increase is not particularly high.
Two other doctoral students are conducting research related to cam morphology. Amanda Maripuu studies cam morphology in adults—how prevalent it is in Sweden and its long-term consequences in terms of hip pain and osteoarthritis. Jens Nilsson investigates adults who had SCFE as children—how are they doing as adults? Is their discomfort related to the degree of cam morphology? To what extent have they developed osteoarthritis?
What do you hope will happen in your research field?
By increasing knowledge, I hope to improve the management of adult patients with hip dysplasia and cam morphology. Currently, there is a largely untapped potential for using AI to interpret X-ray images. This technology should be implemented in clinical settings as soon as possible.
Regarding my research on infants with hip dysplasia, I aim to contribute to the development of national treatment guidelines. At present, many children are overtreated, resulting in unnecessary strain on healthcare services—but, more importantly, on the children and their families.
What do you consider your greatest contribution to your research field so far?
Recently, we published a study showing that the treatment duration for dysplasia in infants can be halved while maintaining positive outcomes. This has greatly relieved affected parents and children, demonstrating that six weeks of treatment is sufficient instead of the previous twelve weeks. Adam Sand received an award for best scientific article by a young researcher in ACTA Orthopaedica for this study. In my role as the registry manager for the national quality registry on infants with hip dysplasia, I am now working to disseminate this knowledge nationwide.
Publications about the projects?
