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Rethink concussion

For Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Professionals and Students

Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Research

The University of Pittsburgh Department of Orthopaedic Surgery is a leader in ongoing clinical research and has one of the largest musculoskeletal system research programs in the United States.

With funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other public and private institutions, the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery supports and conducts evidence-based research to help shape the future of orthopaedic care.

Through our vibrant research program, UPMC orthopaedics and sports medicine offer:

  • A strong program that attracts some of the best and brightest sports medicine experts throughout the world.
  • Clinical trials with the chance to benefit from the newest therapies.
  • Treatment options for patients whose conditions were considered untreatable at other centers.

Highlights of Current Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Research

Here's a small sampling of some of the groundbreaking research we're exploring in our labs.

Bethel Musculoskeletal Research Center (BMRC)

The BMRC promotes transformative research in areas such as osteoarthritis, tendinopathy, and spine-related diseases. They translate research understandings into effective preventive and treatment interventions to improve the lives of those we treat.

Biodynamics Laboratory

The Biodynamics Laboratory investigates relationships between dynamic joint function and joint disease, injury, age, and treatment to improve diagnosis and care of orthopaedic conditions. The team works to develop innovative technologies and methods for assessing the dynamic function of joints and musculoskeletal tissue.

Concussion Research Lab

The UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program is the leading clinical concussion research program in the world. Our track record includes hundreds of published, peer-reviewed papers across two decades.

The concussion research lab supports eight to 10 externally funded programs each year involving randomized controlled trials of:

  • Concussion treatments.
  • Advanced neuroimaging of concussion.
  • Assessment of blood and saliva markers of injury.
  • Long-term studies of brain health in former athletes.

Ferguson Laboratory for Orthopaedic and Spine Research

Researchers at the LB3P lab are leading the development of novel minimally invasive therapies for intervertebral disc degeneration. The goal of this study is to reduce the incidence of back pain and the need for spinal surgery.

Orthopaedic Robotics Laboratory

The orthopaedic robotics lab research team focuses on the prevention of degenerative joint disease by improving diagnostic, repair, and rehabilitation procedures for musculoskeletal injuries using state-of-the-art robotic technology.

Donate to Orthopaedic Research

Do you have a special interest in ensuring the future of orthopaedic medicine? Help us sustain our studies and conduct new orthopaedic research.

Donate to the University of Pittsburgh Orthopaedic Surgery Research Department.