Margreth Grotle

About

Professor Margreth Grotle has been a Professor of Health Science at Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet) since 2013, and holds a 20% position at the Department of Research and Innovation, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital. She has more than 25 years of experience in musculoskeletal health research, particularly in spinal disorders, but also in osteoarthritis and rheumatic diseases.

From 2013 to 2021, she led the Master’s Programme in Physiotherapy and established the Musculoskeletal Health (MUSK Health) research group in 2015. She currently heads the Centre for Intelligent Musculoskeletal Health (CIM) — an interdisciplinary collaboration between health scientists and computer scientists that develops innovative health solutions using artificial intelligence.

Grotle is also an Honorary Professor at Keele University in the UK and at Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) in Sydney.

Research groups

Centre for Intelligent Musculoskeletal Health (CIM)

Research projects

Ongoing research projects

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis in a life-course perspective (AIS-Life)
The PhD project investigates health and welfare trajectories of individuals with idiopathic scoliosis across the life course and identifies factors influencing long-term health and welfare outcomes.
Adulthood healthcare use for co-occurring pain and mental distress – the roles of early life adversity and buffers (PAINMENT)
The PhD project examines how early life adversity, resilience, and social capital influence healthcare use for musculoskeletal pain and mental distress from adolescence to adulthood.
AI-driven patient avatar for physiotherapy education
The project will develop an AI-based patient avatar that allows physiotherapy students to practice professional communication skills early in their studies.
Applying Artificial Intelligence in Developing Personalized and Sustainable Healthcare for Spinal Disorders (AID-Spine, part I)
We use machine learning methods to develop and validate prediction models for health and welfare outcomes after treatment for spinal disorders.
Co-occurrent pain and psychological distress: From adolescence to adulthood
The project will provide new insight into the long-term consequences of early onset co-occurrent pain and psychological distress.
Health in young adults (HEYoung)
The overall objective of this PhD project was to identify risk factors, risk profiles, and risk trajectories for mental and musculoskeletal disorders in young adults.
HEYoung intervention study
The project will co-develop an intervention with end-users and conduct the initial stages of a full-scale RCT on the effectiveness of a person-centered intervention for adolescents with persistent pain.
Implementing a stratified vocational advice intervention in individuals at high risk of long-term sickness absence with musculoskeletal disorders (SVAI)
This PhD project aims to facilitate a sustainable work life for individuals at high risk of long-term sickness absence due to musculoskeletal disorders in Norway.
Improving personalized treatment in health care for lower spine disorders
The aim of the study is to deepen the understanding of how patients with lower spine disorders, general practitioners (GPs), physiotherapists and hospital doctors make decisions about treatment.
Machine learning for the analysis of physiotherapy records
The purpose of this project is to develop a framework for efficiently extracting data from physiotherapy records in private practice, to use this data in reporting and research.
Physiotherapy for non-surgical spine patients
This PhD project investigates how patients with low back pain deemed unsuitable for surgery and their physiotherapists manage treatment and follow-up through evidence-based, biopsychosocial approaches.
Promoting and inhibiting factors for education and employment among young adults receiving welfare benefits or health services due to persistent pain and psychological distress
Persistent pain and psychological distress in young adults can negatively impact participation in education and employment, leading to significant consequences.

Completed research projects

A healthy back throughout life – a digital information bank (The BACK Bank)
The aim with this used-initiated project is to establish a digital information bank to enhance confidence, support informed health decisions, and reduce unnecessary healthcare utilization among people with back pain.
Can Motivational Interviewing facilitate return to work in sick-listed people with musculoskeletal disorders? (MI-NAV)
We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Motivational Interviewing on return to work among sick-listed people due to musculoskeletal disorders.
The Back Complaints in the Elders, Norway (BACE-N)
Part of the Back Complaints in the Elders consortium, established to create standardised methodology for large cohort studies on the burden of back pain in the elderly.
Young user involvement group in musculoskeletal health
This project will establish a young user-involvement group at the Centre for Intelligent Musculoskeletal Health (CIM).

Scientific publications

Kjønø, Lise Grethe ; Magnusson, Karin; Johnsen, Marianne Bakke ; Storheim, Kjersti ; Clausen, Stine Haugaard; Wilhelmsen, Maja; O'Neill, Søren; Pripp, Are Hugo ; Berg, Bjørnar ; Skovsgaard, Christian Volmar; Hartvigsen, Jan; Grotle, Margreth ; Vigdal, Ørjan Nesse (2026). Predicting high health care use in patients with spinal disorder in secondary care: model development and validation. Pain Reports. Vol. 11.
https://doi.org/https://journals.lww.com/painrpts/

Sannes, Ann-Christin ; Kretz, Lise; Pripp, Are Hugo ; Vigdal, Ørjan Nesse ; Killingmo, Rikke Munk ; Stensrud, Silje ; Storheim, Kjersti ; Grotle, Margreth ; Iben, Axén, (2025). Two-years clinical course of pain intensity and symptom satisfaction for latent classes in older adults with back pain | BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders | Springer Nature Link. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-025-09442-w

Gorosito, Martin; Berg, Bjørnar ; Yazidi, Anis ; Hermansen, Åsmund ; Øiestad, Britt Elin ; Grotle, Margreth ; Richardsen, Kåre Rønn ; Haugerud, Hårek (2025). Disability pension during emerging adulthood: Insights from the young-HUNT study on psychological distress, chronic pain, and policy reform. International Journal of Medical Informatics. Vol. 207.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2025.106216

Toh, Zheng An; Thambawita, Vajira L B; Grotle, Margreth ; He, Hong-Gu; Pikkarainen, Minna ; Hey, Hwee Weng Dennis; Solberg, Tore; Ingebrigtsen, Tor; Berg, Bjørnar (2025). Development of machine learning models for predicting patient-perceived benefit following lumbar disc herniation or spinal stenosis surgery. European spine journal.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-025-09304-y

Gorosito, Martin; Haugerud, Hårek ; Berg, Bjørnar ; Yazidi, Anis ; Øiestad, Britt Elin ; Sivertsen, Børge; Grotle, Margreth ; Richardsen, Kåre Rønn (2025). Chronic pain, psychological distress, and their co-occurrence in Norwegian young adults: Insights from machine learning and explainable AI. International Journal of Medical Informatics. Vol. 205.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2025.106108

Øiestad, Britt Elin ; Maas, Esther; Aanesen, Fiona; Tingulstad, Alexander; Rysstad, Tarjei Langseth ; Tulder, Maurits van; Tveter, Anne Therese ; Hagen, Milada ; Berg, Rigmor; Foster, Nadine E; Wynne-Jones, Gwenllian; Sowden, Gail; Bagøien, Gunnhild; Hagen, Roger; Storheim, Kjersti ; Grotle, Margreth (2025). Effectiveness of two vocational interventions on sickness absence and costs for people with musculoskeletal disorders: 12 months results from the MI-NAV multi-arm randomized trial. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health. Vol. 51.
https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.4248

Jahre, Henriette ; Guddal, Maren Hjelle ; Grasaas, Erik; Smedbråten, Kaja ; Riiser, Kirsti ; Pripp, Are Hugo ; Grotle, Margreth ; Øiestad, Britt Elin (2025). The Effectiveness of School‐Based Interventions on Pain and Disability Outcomes in Adolescents With Persistent Pain. A Systematic Review. European Journal of Pain. Vol. 29.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ejp.70101

Smedbråten, Kaja ; Grotle, Margreth ; Hagen, Milada ; Sivertsen, Børge; Jahre, Henriette ; Richardsen, Kåre Rønn ; Peat, George; Skillgate, Eva; Øiestad, Britt Elin (2025). Lifestyle Behaviours and Future Healthcare Utilisation for Musculoskeletal Pain in Young Adults: A Cohort Study of Norwegian University Students With Three‐Year Follow‐Up. European Journal of Pain. Vol. 29.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ejp.70087

Abbott, Allan; Pedersen, Casper Friis; Hedevik, Henrik; Parai, Catharina; Gorosito, Martin A; Andersen, Mikkel; Ingebrigtsen, Tor; Solberg, Tore; Grotle, Margreth ; Berg, Bjørnar (2025). External validation of a prediction model for disability and pain after lumbar disc herniation surgery: a prospective international registry-based cohort study | Acta Orthopaedica. Acta Orthopaedica. Vol. 96.
https://doi.org/10.2340/17453674.2025.44251

Rysstad, Tarjei Langseth ; Grotle, Margreth ; Traeger, Adrian C.; Aasdahl, Lene; Vigdal, Ørjan Nesse ; Aanesen, Fiona; Øiestad, Britt Elin ; Pripp, Are Hugo ; Wynne-Jones, Gwenllian; Dunn, Kate M.; Fors, Egil Andreas; Linton, Steven J.; Tveter, Anne Therese (2025). Predicting prolonged work absence due to musculoskeletal disorders: development, validation, and clinical usefulness of prognostic prediction models. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health. Vol. 98.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-025-02129-8

See all publications

These publications are obtained from Norwegian Research Information Repository. The list may be incomplete.