Karin Gravare Silbernagel

Professor, Physical Therapy University of Delaware

  • Newark DE

Prof. Silbernagel's research aims to advance the understanding of tendon and ligament injuries and repair.

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University of Delaware

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Gold medal-worthy experts for Olympic Summer Games coverage

The University of Delaware boasts several experts who can comment on health-related topics such as injuries and training and business-focused areas like marketing and team behavior as they relate to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Matt Robinson Professor, sport management Relevant expertise: Will be in Paris and can discuss the Olympics from an onsite perspective; can give the backstory on The International Coaching Enrichment Certificate Program (ICECP) and what’s new in the Paris Olympics. Link to profile and contact Tom Kaminski Professor, kinesiology and applied physiology Relevant expertise: Can comment on the impact of heading in Olympic soccer and has studied the risks of concussions in sports for nearly three decades. Link to profile and contact Karin Silbernagel Professor, physical therapy Relevant expertise: Research aims to advance the understanding of tendon and ligament injuries and repair. Can also discuss sailing. Link to profile and contact Tim DeSchriver Associate professor, sport management Relevant expertise: Sport finance, economics and marketing Link to profile and contact Other experts: INJURIES: Tom Buckley Associate professor, kinesiology and applied physiology Relevant expertise: Head impacts from boxing. Stephanie Cone Assistant professor, biomedical engineering Relevant expertise: Studies the structure-function relationship that exists in tendons and ligaments with a special interest in changes in this relationship during growth and following injury. Mike Eckrich Clinical instructor, physical therapy Relevant expertise: Weightlifting; can talk about the difference between men’s and women’s injuries and form in the sport. Donald Ford Physical therapy Relevant expertise: Shoulder injuries/rehab expert Jeffrey Schneider Senior instructor, kinesiology and applied physiology Relevant expertise: Athletic training and injury prevention, with a particular interest in ice skating injuries. Worked with athletes competing in Winter Olympics (2002, 2006) as a strength and conditioning coach and athletic trainer. EVENTS: Jocelyn Hafer Assistant professor, kinesiology and applied physiology Relevant expertise: Race Walk events and how biomarkers are used in walking studies. Airelle Giordano Associate professor, physical therapy Relevant expertise: Gymnastics; she was a collegiate gymnast Kiersten McCartney Doctoral student Relevant expertise: Can chat about Paralympic Triathlon (running, hand cycling, swimming). Steve Goodwin Associate professor, health behavior and nutrition sciences Relevant expertise: He is also in Paris leading a study abroad cohort. He has been to multiple Olympics, and can also speak to on-site experience, differences in games, etc. George Edelman Adjunct professor, physical therapy Relevant expertise: How the "underwaters” technique gives Olympians an edge. BUSINESS: John Allgood II Instructor, sport management Relevant expertise: Sport business management, event management SCIENCE: Joshua Cashaback Assistant professor, biomedical engineering Relevant expertise: Specializes in neuromechanics and control of human movement. His research falls under two major themes: The neuroplasticity and adaptation research line tests how reinforcement feedback can subserve our ability to acquire new motor skills.

Karin Gravare SilbernagelMatthew RobinsonTom KaminskiTim DeSchriver

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Biography

Karin Grävare Silbernagel PT, ATC, PhD is a Professor & Associate Chair in the Department of Physical Therapy and the Director of the Center for Human Research Coordination at the University of Delaware, Newark, DE. She has been a Physical Therapist and Athletic Trainer for 30 years and performed research on tendon injuries for 20 years. Her expertise is in orthopaedics and musculoskeletal injury with a focus on tendon and ligament injury. At University of Delaware she is the principal investigator of the Delaware Tendon Research Group and the Delaware ACL Research Group. Her work has been directly integrated into the clinical guidelines for treatment of patients with tendon injuries. She has presented her research at numerous conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals (140+ published articles to date). She has also been invited to speak about her research at conferences nationally and internationally. As the principal investigator of Tendon Research Group at the University of Delaware she is working to advance understanding of tendon injuries and repair so that tailored treatments can be developed. Her research approach is to evaluate tendon health and recovery by quantifying tendon composition, structure, and mechanical properties, as well as patients’ impairments and symptoms. She consults with professional sports team relating to tendon injuries and she is a consultant to the NFL's Musculoskeletal Committee. Her research is funded by the NIH, Foundation for Physical Therapy, Swedish Research Council for Sport Science, and Swedish Research Council.

Industry Expertise

Health and Wellness

Areas of Expertise

Achilles Tendinopathy
Patellar Tendinopathy
Achilles Tendon Rupture
Tendon Rupture
Knee Injuries

Media Appearances

Matchmakers for research

University of Delaware  online

2023-03-07

“Everyone wants a treatment for their problem,” said Karin Grävare Silbernagel, director of the University of Delaware’s Center for Human Research Coordination and professor in the Department of Physical Therapy in the College of Health Sciences. “Volunteers can be heroes by being part of the research.”

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Does Early Mobilization Improve Achilles Tendon Outcomes?

Orrthopedics This Week  online

2022-11-15

Study authors included Susanna Aufwerber, PT, Ph.D., Paul W. Ackermann, M.D., Ph.D. and Josefine E. Naili, PT, Ph.D., all from the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. Karin Grävare Silbernagel, PT, ATC, Ph.D. of the University of Delaware, Newark, also contributed to the study.

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SPORTS TOMORROW - Day 6

FB Barcelona  online

2020-11-16

For her part, Dr. Karin Grävare Silbernagel, associate professor at the University of Delaware, analysed both tendinopathy and ruptures of the Achilles tendon. She explained that Achilles rupture occurs suddenly, has a cumulative incidence among athletes under 45 years of age of 5.4% and rarely presents previous symptoms.

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Articles

Effect of Symptom Duration on Injury Severity and Recovery in Patients With Achilles Tendinopathy

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine

2023

Background:
Achilles tendinopathy is a common overuse condition. Distinguishing between early- and late-stage tendinopathy may have implications on treatment decisions and recovery expectations.
Purpose:
To compare the effects of time and baseline measures of tendon health on outcomes among patients with varying symptom durations after 16 weeks of comprehensive exercise treatment.

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Overload in a Rat in Vivo Model of Synergist Ablation Induces Tendon Multi-scale Structural and Functional Degeneration

Journal of Biomechanical Engineering

2023

Tendon degeneration is typically described as an overuse injury with little distinction made between magnitude of load (overload) and number of cycles (overuse). Further, in vivo animal models of tendon degeneration are mostly overuse models, where tendon damage is caused with high number of load cycles. As a result, there is a lack of knowledge of how isolated overload leads to degeneration. A surgical model of synergist ablation (SynAb) overloads the target tendon, plantaris, by ablating its synergist tendon, Achilles. The objective of this study was to evaluate the structural and functional changes that occur following overload of plantaris tendon in a rat SynAb model.

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Presence of early radiographic features of osteoarthritis differs between subgroups 5 years after anterior cruciate ligament injury

Osteoarthritis and Cartilage

2023

Purpose: Outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture vary highly across individuals. Data suggests up to 35% of patients do not return to pre-injury sport, anywhere from 12-27% of patients sustain a second injury, and over 50% develop posttraumatic osteoarthritis (OA). These data suggest there may be subgroups that exist among those who have ruptured their ACL. Posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) in the knee joint is one of many concerning long-term outcomes facing individuals who have torn their ACL. Recent data suggest that 50-80% of individuals develop PTOA within 10 years of ACL reconstruction (ACLR). Most who undergo ACLR are young and active, leaving them at a high risk of developing PTOA in young adulthood. There is a need to identify characteristics of individuals who are at greater risk for negative long-term outcomes enabling insight into targeted treatments.

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Research Grants

Recovery of symptoms, function, tendon structure and mechanical properties in patients with Achilles Tendinopathy: A comparison between men and women.

NIH NIAMS R01

04/01/2018 - 03/31/2024

The goal of this project is to evaluate the time-course of recovery in terms of tendon structure and viscoelastic properties along with symptoms and muscle-tendon function in 100 men and 100 women with Achilles tendinopathy treated with an exercise program

Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for Achilles Tendon Rupture Rehabilitation

NIH NIAMS R21 AR077282

05/01/2021 - 04/30/2024

The objective of this study is to develop and evaluate a NMES rehabilitation protocol for surgically-treated Achilles tendon ruptures. This study is divided into two aims. Aim 1 will determine parameters of the NMES protocol based on measurements of tendon mechanical properties. Aim 2 will evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of NMES protocol as a self-applied intervention.

Accomplishments

Spotlight Speaker, Orthopaedic Research Society Annual Meeting

2023

Legacy Fund New Investigator Research Grant Award, American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy

2022

Nominated, UD Midcareer Research Excellence Award

2021

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Education

University of Gothenburg

PhD

Medicine (Orthopaedics)

2006

University of Gothenburg

MSc

Physical Therapy

2001

Boston University

BS

Physical Therapy

1990

Affiliations

  • Delaware Tendon Research Group
  • National Athletic Trainers Association
  • European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy
  • American Physical Therapy Association : National, Delaware Chapter, Orthopaedic, Sports Physical Therapy and Research section (Academy)
  • Orthopaedic Research Society
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Languages

  • English

Event Appearances

Spotlight Speaker

(2023) Orthopaedic Research Society Annual Meeting  Dallas, Texas

Achilles tendinopathy treatment and return to sport. Lower extremity tendinopathy: Testing and Evaluation

(2021) Mountain Land Running Summit  Park City, Utah

Non-Operative Management and Post-Operative Rehabilitation

(2021) ISAKOS Webinar on Achilles tendon rupture  Virtual

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