View as Webpage

Reflecting on 2024 – and plans for the year ahead

Tamara A. Scerpella, MD

AA McBeath Distinguished Professor | Chair, Department of Orthopedics & Rehabilitation

Chief, Division of Sports Medicine

University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

As I reflect on the collective accomplishments of our department over the past year, I am struck by the progress we have made toward our shared vision to build excellence and distinction in clinical outcomes, translatable research, and graduate training programs that result in local, regional and national prominence. I am incredibly proud of our team's commitment to advancing orthopedic surgery and rehabilitative medicine, and I am excited to share highlights of our department members' numerous achievements during 2024 – as well as a glimpse of what to look forward to in 2025.

Clinical Excellence

We welcomed nine of the best and brightest physician specialists to our team in 2024. These additions bring our total faculty to 42 orthopedic and 14 rehabilitation medicine specialists, preparing us to meet the ever-growing needs of our patients in Dane County, Wisconsin, and the region as we enter 2025. We will continue to recruit surgeons, non-operative orthopedic specialists, pain medicine proceduralists and inpatient rehabilitation specialists over the coming year. 

UW Health Rehabilitation Hospital has once again been ranked in the top six percent of rehabilitation hospitals nationwide by Uniform Data Systems (UDS) for 2024. UDS maintains the world’s largest database for medical rehabilitation outcomes, and this prestigious recognition highlights the commitment of our incredible team of physicians, advanced practice providers, resident trainees, therapists, and nurses to delivering exceptional patient care.

Further, this prestigious achievement underscores the hard work, expertise, and dedication of our UW rehab faculty physicians whose innovative approaches and leadership in rehabilitation medicine drive our success. Their commitment to excellence ensures patients receive the highest quality care, setting a benchmark for inpatient rehabilitation hospitals nationwide.

David Goodspeed, MD, receives 2024 OTA Mentorship Award

Last month, the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) announced the 2024 OTA Award winners. Among the honorees was David Goodspeed, MD, orthopedic surgeon and associate professor in the UW Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation. Dr. Goodspeed earned the 2024 Mentorship Award for his contributions “to the clinical, academic, and professional growth of OTA member(s) via mentorship.”

“Whether it’s teaching us how to reduce hips, taking the time to teach even when we’re behind in clinic, or rounding with us at 9pm, Goody is always eager to contribute to our education. We are so grateful we get to learn from him every day and we can’t think of anyone more deserving of this award!“

– UW Orthopedic Surgery Residents

Erin Hammer, MD, receives UW SMPH GWIMS Impact Award

Erin Hammer, MD, sports medicine physician and assistant professor with the UW Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, received a 2024 UW School of Medicine and Public Health Group on Women in Medicine and Science (GWIMS) Impact Award. Honors were presented at the GWIMS Women in Medicine and Science Leadership Conference held on December 5, 2024.

Dr. Hammer’s expertise and clinical acumen in the care of collegiate athletes led to her becoming the head team physician for the UW football team two years ago. She is among a very small number of women physicians in this role at NCAA institutions, a distinction as a woman leading in medicine and science. Visible across the Big Ten Conference and beyond, Dr. Hammer travels with the football team to provide sideline coverage for all football games. She also serves as the head team physician for UW wrestling. In addition to her clinical work, teaching, and research, she also provides medical coverage at sports events during the athletic seasons, with fellows, residents and students by her side.

In her award nomination letter, colleague Kathleen Carr, MD, said that she believed Dr. Hammer deserved this honor for "the ongoing and substantive impact of [her] clinical work," stating "Dr. Hammer epitomizes the translation of research into clinical practice in her faculty role."

Richard Illgen, MD, orthopedic surgeon and professor at the UW Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation was recently named editor for the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR) annual report. The purpose of the annual report is to review outcomes after total hip and total knee replacement in the United States. The AJRR now has four million joint replacements recorded to date.

Dr. Illgen also serves on the AJRR steering committee and as the director of the Registry Analytics Institute for the AJRR.

Last month, Brian Nickel, MD, orthopedic surgeon and assistant professor at the UW Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, was elected president of the Wisconsin Orthopaedic Society. In his new role, Dr. Nickel will guide the Society's mission to support and engage practicing orthopedic surgeons across Wisconsin. His leadership will focus on ensuring members stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in orthopedic surgery, uphold the highest medical and ethical standards, and deliver exceptional patient care. These efforts are driven by the Society’s commitment to education and fostering collaboration among its members.

Green Bay Packer running back Marshawn Loyd's search for answers to what was going on with his hamstring "culminated in an enlightening consultation earlier this month with the hamstring specialists at Badger Athletic Performance on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison."

Loyd saw "the same experts who helped chart a path forward for both Packers receiver Christian Watson and cornerback Eric Stokes last offseason after hamstring injuries sidelined them in 2023."

"They told me how well it worked for them," said Lloyd of his conversations with Watson and Stokes. "Just being there from last year to this year, how well they were able to stay healthy. Just being able to hear from them but also just know that it can help me, I'm excited about that."

Continue reading at packers.com.

David Bernhardt, MD, named Lead Team Physician for LOVB Madison

David Bernhardt, MD, primary care sports medicine physician and professor at the UW Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation was named Lead Team Physician in November 2024 for the newly established League One Volleyball (LOVB) professional women's volleyball team.

Watch the Madison Channel 3000 interview here.

Team sports score big points for your child's brain, study finds

"Scientific data indicate that playing a team sport like soccer improves executive function skills, which are among the most key life skills of all," Dr. Alison Brooks, sports medicine physician and professor with the UW Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, wrote in a journal commentary accompanying the new study.

Continue reading at HealthDay.com.

Tamara Scerpella, MD, is guest on The Hand to Shoulder Podcast

Listen here.

Patients with hypermobility syndromes who present with shoulder instability have traditionally been told to go to therapy. But what if therapy is not enough? Dr. Tamara Scerpella walks through her process of evaluating and treating this challenging issue on the December 2, 2024 episode of The Hand to Shoulder Podcast.

UW researchers forge new path to patellar tendon recovery

Patellar tendon injuries, common among athletes and active individuals, can derail lives with chronic pain and restricted mobility. Recognizing the significant negative impact these injuries have on the quality of life for those suffering from them, researchers at UW hope to revolutionize treatment and help affected patients reclaim their active lives.

Led by Naoaki Ito, DPT, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher and Jack Martin, PhD, a research scientist, in the UW Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation and Badger Athletic Performance, and Scott Crawford, PhD, an assistant professor in the UW Departments of Kinesiology at the School of Education and Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, the team is taking an innovative approach to address the challenges of both treating and tracking recovery of the tendon.

Continue reading here.

mRNA-activated blood clots could cushion the blow of osteoarthritis

University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers have developed a promising technique for treating osteoarthritis using therapeutic blood clots activated by messenger RNA.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting roughly 33 million adults in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It occurs when cartilage in key joints like the knees and hips deteriorates, causing pain and stiffness and impeding mobility.

In a paper in the journal Bioactive Materials published online in December 2024, the UW-Madison research team led by William Murphy, PhD, a professor of biomedical engineering and orthopedics and rehabilitation, details its new approach. With further development, it could one day offer a more effective option than treatments such as steroid injections, hyaluronic acid injections or even joint replacement surgeries.

Continue reading here.

Andrea Spiker, MD, awarded FOM Grant to study pre-arthritic hip

On December 9, 2024, the Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation named orthopedic surgeon and assistant professor Andrea Spiker, MD, the recipient of the 2025 Freedom of Movement Award. The $50,000 grant will fund her research project, Profiling the Arthritic Hip.

"Our Freedom of Movement Award program supports novel and impactful research of department faculty, and Dr. Spiker’s project certainly checks those boxes," says Bryan Heiderscheit, PT, PhD, Frederick Gaenslen Professor and Vice Chair of Research for the UW Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation. "Her work will advance our understanding of what contributes to the onset of pain in individuals with previously undetected hip problems, a critical step toward developing effective strategies to prevent or delay the need for surgical intervention."

Recent publications by members of our team

Translation, cross-cultural adaptation, validation, and reliability of the University of Wisconsin running injury and recovery index to Brazilian Portuguese (UWRI-BR)

de Souza TMM, Tessutti VD, Alvarenga E, Benevides F, Martinez BR, Heiderscheit B, Nelson EO, Yi LC | J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2025 Mar – Epub 2024 Oct 20

Regional Patellar Tendon Strain in the Short- and Long-term After ACL Reconstruction Using Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone Autograft

Durigan JLQ, Ito N, Scattone Silva R, Grävare Silbernagel K | Am J Sports Med. 2025 Jan 22

Hip Arthroscopy and Its Impact on Performance in National Hockey League Players Using Team-Based Advanced Performance Statistics

LaPrade CM, LaPrade MD, Smith HE, Dock CC, LaPrade RF, Larson CM | Orthop J Sports Med. 2025 Jan 22

Appropriate Use Criteria for Neoplastic Compression Fractures

Cho CH, Hills JM, Anderson PA, Annaswamy TM, Cassidy RC, Craig CM, DeMicco RC, Easa JE, Kreiner DS, Mazanec DJ, O'Toole JE, Rappard G, Ravinsky RA, Schoenfeld AJ, Shin JH, Whitcomb GL, Reitman CA | Spine J. 2025 Jan 13

Influence of cadence manipulation on running biomechanics in high school cross-country runners

Garcia MC, Heiderscheit BC, Kraus E, Murray AM, Norte GE, Bazett-Jones DM Influence of cadence manipulation on running biomechanics in high school cross-country runners | Sports Biomech. 2025 Jan 8

The Association between the Social Vulnerability Index and Access to California High School Athletic Trainers

Tao F, Turner C, Kliethermes S, Luke A, Berrigan W, Hatamiya N | J Athl Train. 2024 Dec 30

Injury Risk Factors Related to Sport Specialization in High School Basketball: A Prospective Study

Post EG, Rivera MJ, Robison HJ, Rauh MJ, McGuine TA, Simon JE | J Athl Train. 2024 Dec

Local delivery of TGF-β1-mRNA decreases fibrosis in osteochondral defects

Fontana G, Nemke B, Lu Y, Chamberlain C, Lee JS, Choe JA, Jiao H, Nelson M, Amitrano M, Li WJ, Markel M, Murphy WL | Bioact Mater. 2024 Dec 6

Playing a Team Sport May Benefit Your Child's Developing Brain

Brooks A | JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Dec 2

Association of standardized serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D with falls in post-menopausal women

Binkley N, Sempos CT, Borchardt G, Larsen J, Stacey ML, Mosiman S, Lappe JM | Osteoporos Int. 2024 Nov 25

Understanding factors influencing exercise program adherence for youth with persistent post-concussive symptoms (PPCS)

Bollinger BJ, Chrisman SP, Sahlberg J, Mendoza JA, Palermo TM, Zhou C, Brooks MA, Rivara FP, Pedersen P, Prentice E, Hansen C. | Brain Inj. 2024 Nov 19

Limb Underloading in Walking Transmits Less Dynamic Knee Joint Contact Forces after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Munsch AE, Evans-Pickett A, Davis-Wilson H, Pietrosimone B, Rauch CM, Roth JD, Franz JR | Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2024 Nov 18

Biometric Changes Up to 2 Years After Hip Arthroscopy in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Athlete

Steiner Q, Walczak BE, Sanfilippo J, Joachim MR, Haraldsdottir K, Watson AM | Orthop J Sports Med. 2024 Nov 5

Standardising health history and injury surveillance of participants in endurance events: a modified Delphi consensus statement from the AMSSM runner health consortium

Tenforde AS, Kraus E, Kliethermes SA, Fontana MA, Barrack MT, Dubon M, Heikura IA, Hollander K, Kroshus E, Joachim MR, Lopes AD, Rauh MJ, Chastain R, Harrast M, Heiderscheit B, Krabak BJ, Miller EM, Napier C, Roberts WO, Roche D, Roche M, Schroeder AN, Taylor-Douglas D, Tenforde K, Verhagen E, Warden SJ, Willy RW, Toresdahl BG | Br J Sports Med. 2024 Nov 1

Association of the COVID-19 Pandemic With Outcomes After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Retrospective Comparative Study Examining Changes in Health Care Access, Delivery, and Functional Outcomes

Steiner Q, Zacharias A, Chumanov E, Baer GS, Walczak BE | Orthop J Sports Med. 2024 Oct 23

Modeling high-risk Wilms tumors enables the discovery of therapeutic vulnerability

Ma G, Gao A, Chen J, Liu P, Sarda R, Gulliver J, Wang Y, Joiner C, Hu M, Kim EJ, Yeger H, Le HD, Chen X, Li WJ, Xu W | Cell Rep Med. 2024 Oct 15

Tranexamic Acid in Shoulder and Knee Arthroscopy

Song DJ, McDermott ER, Grogan BF, Tennent DJ, Ernat JJ | J Surg Orthop Adv. 2024 Fall

Special technique helps fix James's clubfoot

Learn more at ortho.wisc.edu