Our services

Our main focus is on highly specialised care such as paediatric orthopaedics, fracture, prosthetic, shoulder, tumour and spinal surgery, but we also provide basic orthopaedics in most areas. As a university hospital, we also conduct research, development and teaching.

In order to be at the forefront of international medical excellence, provide high quality care and be cost-effective, the organisation has been divided into several sections.

Contact us

Caroline Sköld 
Head of Services 
018-611 00 00  

Referral information

Our consultancy services can be reached via the hospital switchboard 018-611 00 00.

• Big T - trauma consultant mainly national-regional issues (office hours)
• Little T - trauma consultant within the hospital for referrals (office hours)
• Big P - joint replacements mainly national-regional issues (office hours)
• Orthopaedic on-call consultant (outside office hours)
• Back care on-call
• Paediatric orthopaedic on-call
• Hand surgery on-call
• Our units

Paediatric orthopaedics

The Paediatric Orthopaedic Service provides classical paediatric orthopaedics, paediatric traumatology and habilitation for children and adults. The services are located at Uppsala University Children's Hospital, ward 95 B.

More than 1/3 of the services are national and regional services including leg lengthening and angle correction of congenital and acquired malpositions, scoliosis surgery, surgery on children with neuromuscular diseases, treatment of late detected congenital hip dislocation and complicated fractures.

Bone lengthening is a service with a long tradition at Uppsala University Hospital, where we have so far treated about 400 patients with different leg lengths due to congenital malformations, malformed fractures, or other causes of leg length difference. The extensions are carried out by callus distraction according to the Ilizarow technique.

We have a large outpatient department at the paediatric orthopaedic clinic, where we see 3000 patients per year. The most common diagnoses are scoliosis, fractures, sports injuries, hip checks on newborns.

We operate on 400 patients per year, of which around 30% are emergency cases. For these, there is a Paediatric Orthopaedic Hotline on call 24 hours a day. Emergency patients are usually fractures, but also infections of the joints or bones. 

Contact us

Richard Marsell 
Head of Unit

Foot surgery

Foot surgery at Uppsala University Hospital is one of the few units in Sweden that has the expertise to operate on all diagnoses of the ankle and foot. We treat patients with deformities, tendon injuries, osteoarthritis, rheumatic disease, neurological disease, foot conditions due to diabetes complications, sports injuries and more.

Major reconstructive surgery of the midfoot and hindfoot, such as metatarsal arthrodesis, tendon transfers, ankle arthroplasty and ankle arthrodesis, as well as arthroscopy of the ankle, are primarily performed. Our patients have only one doctor in charge, which means that the doctor who treated the patient in the clinic is also the one who operates the patient, and then also follows up the patient after the operation.

Foot surgery participates in the basic training of doctors and physiotherapists and in the specialised training of orthopaedic surgeons. We have recently established a fellowship for junior orthopaedic specialists wishing to learn more about foot surgery, where we welcome colleagues for placements of 3-6 months.

We perform all types of foot surgery for Uppsala County residents and advanced foot surgery for other regions in Sweden. Every year, we perform around 370 operations and have 650 new visits to the clinic. In addition, via a joint county waiting list, a number of patients with diagnoses in the front part of the foot are operated on at Lasarettet i Enköping by orthopaedic specialists employed there.

A referral from your family doctor or home region is required for admission to our clinic.

Contact us

Maria Cöster, Head of Unit, Head Physician

Anna Sprinchorn, Assistant Head Physician

Specialist orthopaedics, foot surgery

Christina Ama, Specialist Orthopaedics, Foot Surgery

Jens Brokopp, Specialist Orthopaedics, Foot Surgery

Anna Thor, physiotherapist

Linda Kumlin, physiotherapist

Referral to us

X-ray

Prior to the visit, we always request an X-ray of the foot bones, including weight-bearing images (please note that weight-bearing images must be specifically requested in the referral). This is needed so that we can assess any misalignment of the foot when the patient puts weight on it. This X-ray is ordered by the referring doctor. The examination should cover the part of the foot where the patient's problem is located, i.e. either a weight-bearing foot X-ray, a weight-bearing ankle X-ray or sometimes both if there is any doubt about where the problem is located. The reason for this is that even if the patient's complaint appears to be a soft tissue problem, such as Achilles tendon pain or a ganglion, there may be underlying pathology, as well as differential diagnoses that need to be ruled out. Achilles tendinosis may be caused by Haglund's heel, for example, and a ganglion may be caused by underlying osteoarthritis. Sometimes it may be necessary to perform an additional radiological modality to get closer to the diagnosis. We take care of this supplementation ourselves.

Blood pressure

We are grateful if a resting blood pressure is taken when the patient is referred to us. This is because, unfortunately, measuring the patient's blood pressure in our clinic environment tends to produce a large number of falsely elevated blood pressures. High blood pressure is a common delay to surgery for the patient.

Smoking

Before the visit, we would like it checked whether the patient is a smoker, and that any smokers are informed of the importance of stopping smoking, and that this will be necessary if any form of surgery is to be performed. We have a strict policy on smoking in foot surgery, with zero tolerance. The reason for this is the large body of scientific evidence showing that smoking greatly increases the risk of complications in foot surgery. Not only are the risks of anaesthesia higher, but also the risk of infection, non-healing of stiffness and of poor surgical outcome in general. It has been clearly demonstrated that reducing the number of cigarettes smoked per day has no impact whatsoever on the outcome: Only total cessation can reverse the negative effects of smoking. We therefore require all patients due to have surgery to stop smoking 2 months before the operation and then until recovery afterwards, which can vary between 3 weeks and 3 months depending on the type of surgery. 

Articulated prosthesis

Our main task is to treat joint failure (osteoarthritis) and inflammatory conditions (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis) of the hip and knee joints. It is done with artificial joints, when non-surgical treatment has not provided sufficient relief and effect.

Criteria for prosthetic surgery

The main criteria for prosthetic surgery are pain at rest and musculoskeletal pain that severely limits activity at work and in leisure time. Restlessness and significantly disturbed sleep are particularly important. Loss of function in terms of walking distance below 500 metres and difficulties in independent living are strong reasons for considering surgery, as is the constant need for walking aids despite adequate analgesic treatment. Non-surgical treatment must have been tried but not have been sufficiently effective before surgery with a joint prosthesis can be considered. By this we mean physiotherapy, weight loss if overweight, use of walking aids, osteoarthritis school and regular intake of painkillers.

Our ambition is to operate on patients with as little risk and discomfort as possible, using reputable surgical techniques and well-proven joint replacements. We want our patients to be able to return to work and other daily activities with a well-functioning and pain-free new artificial joint after a short hospitalisation of 2-3 days and about 2-3 months of rehabilitation.

We perform many prosthetic surgeries every year

We perform around 750 prosthetic operations annually, of which 250 are planned hip replacements and 150 planned knee replacements due to joint failure. Around 150 are operated on with hip replacements due to femoral neck fractures. Around 200 additional operations are carried out on previous hip and knee replacements annually on patients from both our own catchment area and from the region. This can be caused by wear and tear or loosening of the prosthesis, but also by infection or fracture of the bone adjacent to the prosthesis.

As a regional hospital, we are at the forefront of prosthetic care for the under-65 age group. From experience, we know that this patient group has a clearly poorer prognosis in terms of strength and prosthesis survival. Possibly because they often subject their implants to high stresses that the artificial joint cannot withstand.

For more severe cases, we have a bone bank where donor bones are stored to replace bone loss and we use modern technology with both titanium and tantalum reinforcements to enable prosthesis insertion.

We research new technologies and prostheses

We conduct intensive research on both cemented and uncemented hip and knee replacements, focusing on the longevity of the prosthesis, and we continuously gather new knowledge and experience on current techniques and implants by updating the literature and direct contacts with both domestic and foreign centres. In various studies, both by ourselves and by others, the prosthetic types with uncemented anchoring have shown increasingly better long-term results, which is why these options have become standard for younger patients.

To optimise nursing care and quality assurance, we have established a special ward for elective orthopaedics with specially trained staff who also receive continuous training in post-operative monitoring, pain management and rehabilitation.

Contact us

Björn Hernefalk - Head of Unit, Head Physician

Olle Nilsson - Head Physician, Professor

Nils Hailer - Head Physician, Professor

Jan Milbrink - Head Physician, Associate Professor

Per Mattsson - Head Physician, PhD

Stergios Lazarinis - Head Physician

Daniel Söderlund - Specialist doctor

Anders Brüggermann - Specialist doctor, PhD

Georgios Palechoros - Specialist doctor

Lazar Popov, Specialist doctor

Zoran Strbac - Specialist doctor

Alexander Ossinger - Specialist doctor

Spinal surgery

Employs specialists in orthopaedics or neurosurgery who all specialise in spinal surgery. We perform general and advanced spinal surgery for our county's residents and advanced spinal surgery for other regions in central Sweden and lower Norrland and Åland. Some special cases come from other parts of the country. Every year, we perform around 800 operations and have 2000 outpatient visits.

The spinal surgery unit at Uppsala University Hospital is one of the few units in Sweden with expertise in operating on the entire vertebral column, from the pelvis to the base of the skull. We treat patients with deformities, fractures, degenerative spinal diseases and tumours. The clinic has advanced expertise in the correction of deformities (such as scoliosis and ankylosing spondylitis), cervical instability in rheumatoid arthritis and tumours of the vertebral column. We have a 24-hour emergency line and work closely with neurosurgeons, radiologists, oncologists and the hospital pain centre, among others.

We conduct advanced research in several areas, including spinal stenosis, cervical spinal surgery and spinal tumour surgery. We are an international reference centre for spinal surgery within the AO Spinal organisation. The Spinal Section participates in the basic training of doctors and physiotherapists and specialised training of orthopaedic surgeons. We have an established international exchange programme and are regularly visited by spinal surgeons from other countries who want to further their training with us.

Many of our patients are primarily assessed by an experienced physiotherapist (physiotherapist) during an appointment. After such a visit, the patient's problems are discussed with an experienced spinal surgeon, who makes an overall assessment of whether surgery could be relevant after reviewing the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. If surgery is not considered appropriate, the patient will receive a reply by letter and a statement will be sent to the referring doctor. Patients who are deemed suitable for surgical treatment are seen by a spinal surgeon at a follow-up visit.  

To come to us, a referral from your family doctor or home region is required. Alternatively, by submitting your own request for care.

Treatment compendium

The Spinal Section has compiled a compendium of treatment guidelines for common diagnoses. The compendium covers the most common urgent and elective diagnoses throughout the vertebral column.

Order compendium

Contact us

Paul Gerdhem, Head of Unit, Professor

Christian Carrwik, Head Physician, Doctor of Medicine

Thomas Carlsson, Head Physician

Nikos Schizas, Head Physician, Doctor of Medicine

Anna MacDowall, Head Physician, Doctor of Medicine

Pavlos Vlachogiannis, Specialist doctor, Neurosurgery

Mårten Steen, Specialist doctor

Katrin Ivars, Specialist doctor, Doctor of Medicine

Maciej Szymanski, Specialist doctor

Michail Kontakis, Specialist doctor

Bengt Sandén, Head Physician, Associate Professor

Jabbar Mohammed, Specialist doctor

Ioannis Georgopoulus, Assistant chief physician

Shoulder-knee

We offer highly specialised care and are one of the few units in Sweden with the expertise to operate on all diagnoses in the shoulder and knee joints. We perform all types of shoulder and knee surgery for Uppsala County residents and advanced shoulder and knee surgery for other regions in Sweden and Åland. Each year we have about 2700 outpatient visits and we perform about 300 surgeries, of which 20% are emergency/sub-urgent cases.

For day surgery shoulder and knee surgery, we have a highly specialised day surgery unit with qualified staff. The patient arrives at the hospital on the morning of the operation and is discharged the same day. Preparation, surgery and recovery after surgery take 3-6 hours on average.

For inpatient shoulder and knee surgery, we have a specialised inpatient ward with specially trained staff who also receive continuous training in post-operative monitoring, pain management and rehabilitation. Patients stay on the ward for an average of 1-2 days.

We aim to improve the quality of life of all our patients and to be at the forefront of safety, care and quality assurance.

For us, it is important that care is characterised by respect, security and continuity. We manage our patients under a system of single physician responsibility, which means that the doctor who treated the patient in the clinic is also the one who operates on the patient, and then also follows up after the operation. To ensure quality and continuously improve care, we participate in various national registries.

We participate in the basic training of doctors and physiotherapists and in the specialised training of orthopaedists. At the same time, research is conducted in cooperation with the Department of Surgical Sciences at Uppsala University.

Contact us

Mattias Falk, MD

Head of unit, Specialist doctor

Shwan Khoschnau, MD PhD

Head Physician

Hendrik Penno, MD PhD

Head Physician

Carl-Johan Silfverswärd, MD PhD

Head Physician

Johan Ljungdahl,

Specialist doctor

Trauma unit

We treat fractures and other injuries to the musculoskeletal system, excluding the back and head. We also perform reconstructive surgery for conditions such as pseudoarthrosis, malunion fractures and post-traumatic osteoarthritis.

Of course, the majority of our patients come via Uppsala University Hospital's Accident and Emergency Department, but we also receive emergency patients from other hospitals throughout Sweden and referral patients from primary care in Uppsala County and orthopaedic surgeons in the region and the country.

Highly specialised care

About 20% of our services are national and regional care and patients from Åland. We mainly receive multi-traumatised patients, patients with pelvic and acetabular fractures, calcaneus, talus and complicated articular fractures, as well as patients in need of advanced reconstructive surgery from other county councils. To serve the region and the country, we have a trauma hotline that receives all incoming calls, provides advice and coordinates the cases we bring in. The trauma unit is also responsible for the orthopaedic care of all multiply injured patients in the various intensive care units at Uppsala University Hospital.

Cooperation with other entities

In order to provide the best care for our patients, we work closely with the other orthopaedic units, but also with the surgeon, anaesthesia and CIVA, hand surgeons, plastic surgeons, infectious diseases and neurosurgeons.

Soft tissue injuries in the knees and shoulders are treated by orthopaedic short-stay surgeons and severe combined injuries with fractures and extensive soft tissue injuries are operated on together. Because most dislocated cervical hip fractures are prosthetically treated, we depend on the prosthetics section to ensure the quality of these patients and they also help us to staff the on-call line. Our trauma team is in close contact with the spinal section and the traumatologists at the surgical clinic regarding multiple trauma patients.

Contact us

Jonatan Berglund, Head of Unit, Head Physician

Research and education

Research and the training of future doctors and other students in the health professions are an important part of its service. We report to several quality registers in orthopaedics and aim to fulfil the care guarantee in all areas. 

Department of Surgical Sciences (uu.se)

Working in orthopaedics and hand surgery

Orthopaedics is a broad and dynamic speciality focusing on diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system. Working at the Orthopaedic Clinic means a varied and challenging job where you will have the opportunity to build a wide range of skills and make a real difference to patients of all ages and life situations. We offer a stimulating work environment centred around where knowledge sharing, collaboration and continuous development. We work continuously to strengthen the quality of care and create good conditions for our employees - with us you are involved in developing the future of orthopaedics.