Josefin Åkerstedt

Josefin Åkerstedt, MD, PhD, is an orthopaedic spine surgeon at Karolinska University Hospital and Associate Professor (Docent) in Orthopaedics at Umeå University. Her clinical and research interests include degenerative spinal disorders, spinal trauma and patient outcomes following spine surgery. Her research combines national registry studies with clinical and imaging-based investigations to evaluate treatment outcomes, surgical safety and opportunities to improve perioperative care. She also contributes to medical education through the development of teaching approaches that integrate digital anatomy with practical and clinical learning.

She serves on the board of the Swedish Society of Spinal Surgeons, works in the EUROSPINE Programme Committee and is an Associate Member of the AO Spine Knowledge Forum Degenerative. These engagements support her involvement in national and international research, education and collaboration in spine surgery.

My research focuses on improving the assessment and treatment of spinal disorders, with particular emphasis on degenerative spinal disease, spinal trauma and patient-reported outcomes.

Key areas include:
• Clinical outcomes and complications following spine surgery.
• National registry research, including studies using Swespine and Svenska Fraktur Registret.
• Minimally invasive and endoscopic surgical techniques.
• Prehabilitation and enhanced recovery after surgery.
• Imaging-based assessment, spinal alignment and artificial intelligence for evaluating spinal instrumentation.

The overall aim is to strengthen the evidence supporting clinical decisions and improve patient outcomes across the spine care pathway.

I teach orthopaedics, spinal disorders and clinical anatomy through seminars, case-based discussions, practical teaching and clinical supervision. My educational work includes medical student teaching, assessment and feedback, as well as lectures and contributions to professional courses in spine surgery.

At Umeå University I have developed “Digital and Practical Anatomy”, an integrated teaching approach combining case-based digital anatomy using Sectra with cadaver-based practical learning and structured reflection. The project aims to connect anatomical understanding with clinical reasoning and has been presented at national educational conferences.

My teaching emphasises active participation, clinically relevant learning and supportive feedback.