People Savio L-Y. WooWhiteford Professor and Director
EducationPhD, University of Washington at Seattle, 1971 Professional InterestsSavio Woo has established interdisciplinary programs to provide educational and research opportunities in the Schools of Engineering and Medicine. Woo is internationally recognized for his studies concerning the mechanical properties of soft tissue (tendons, ligaments, cartilage) and the effects of growth, aging, and healing on these properties. Dr. Woo’s research interests include biomechanics; experimental, theoretical and numerical analyses of the nonlinear material properties of biological tissues and developing new viscoelastic theories for soft tissue. More recently, his work has centered on functional tissue engineering of ligament healing and regeneration by examining the processes from molecular, to cellular to tissue levels, as well as the use of robotic technology to examine the function of the ACL and ACL replacement grafts. Selected PublicationsMoalli. P., Howden, N., Navarro, J., Debes, K., Abramowitch, S., and Woo, Savio L-Y.: A Rat Model to Study the Structural Properties of the Vagina and its Supportive Tissues. Am. J. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 192(1):80-88, 2005. Kilger, R., Thomas, M., Hanford, S., Alaseirlis, D., Pässler, H., and Woo, S.L-Y.: The Effectiveness of Reconstruction of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament Using the Novel Knot/Pressfit Technique: A Cadaveric Study. Am. J. of Sports Medicine, 33(6): 856-863, 2005. Margheritini, F., Rihn, J.A., Mauro, C.S., Stabile, K.J., Woo, S.L-Y., Harner, C.D.: Biomechanics of Initial Tibial Fixation in Posterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction. Arthroscopy, 21(10): 1164-1171, 2005. Jia, F., Shimomura, T., Niyibizi, C., and Woo, S.L-Y.: Antisense Gene Therapy for Down-Regulating Type III Collagen: A Potential Functional Tissue Engineering Approach. Tissue Engineering, 11 (9/10): 1429-1435, 2005. Woo, S.L.-Y., Takakura, Y., Liang, R., Jia, F., Moon, D.K.: Treatment with Bioscaffold Enhances Fibril Morphology and the Collagen Composition of Healing Medial Collateral Ligament in Rabbits. Tissue Engineering, electronically published, February 2006. Miura, K., Woo, S.L-Y., Brinkley, R., Fu, Y.C., Noorani, S.: Effects of Knee Flexion Angles for Graft Fixation on Its Force Distribution in Double Bundle Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction. Am. J. of Sports Medicine, electronically published, November 2005. Hsu, W.H., Fisk, J. A., Yamamoto, Y., Debski, R.E., Woo, S.L-Y.: Differences in Torsional Joint Stiffness of the Knee Between Genders - A Human Cadaveric Study. Am. J. of Sports Medicine, electronically published, January 2006. Kilger, H.P., Woo, S.L-Y., Stehle, J., Fisk, J.A., Thomas, M., Miura, K.: Anatomic Double Bundle Reconstruction for Valgus Knees: A Biomechanical Study. Am. J. of Sports Medicine, electronically published, January 2006. Moon, D., Takakura, Y., Gabriel, M., Abramowitch, S., Woo, S.L-Y.: The Effects of Refreezing on the Viscoelastic and Tensile Properties of Ligaments. J. of Biomechanics, electronically published, April 2005. Moore, S., Thomas, M., Woo, S.L-Y., Gabriel, M., Kilger, R., Debski, R.: A Novel Methodology to Reproduce Previously Recorded Six-Degree of Freedom Kinematics on the Same Diarthrodial Joint. J. of Biomechanics, electronically published, July 2005. Darcy, S.P., Kilger, R.H.P., Woo, S.L-Y., Debski, R.E.: Estimation of ACL Forces by Reproducing Kinematics Between Sets of Knees: A Novel Non-Invasive Methodology. J. of Biomechanics, electronically published, November 2005. Liang, R., Woo, S.L-Y., Takakura, Y., Moon, D.K., Jia, F., Abramowitch, S.D. The Long-Term Effects of Porcine Small Intestine Submucosa on the Healing of Medial Collateral Ligament: A Functional Tissue Engineering Study. J. of Orthopedic Research, in press, January 2006. Yamamoto, Y., Hsu, W.H., Fisk, J.A., Van Scyoc, A.H., Miura, K., Woo, S.L-Y.: The Effect of the Iliotibial Band on Knee Biomechanics in Response to Rotary Loads. J. of Orthopedic Research, in press, February 2006. Moon, D.K., Abramowitch, S.D., Woo, S.L-Y. The Development and Validation of a Charge Coupled Device Laser Reflectance System to Measure the Complex Cross- Sectional Shape and Area of Soft Tissues. Journal of Biomechanics, electronically published, January 2006. Curriculum VitaeDr. Savio L-Y. Woo is the W.K. Whiteford Professor of Bioengineering and the Founder and Director of the Musculoskeletal Research Center (MSRC), a diverse multidisciplinary research and educational center in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh. Over 450 orthopaedic surgeons, biologists, bioengineering students and staff have studied and worked. He joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh in 1990 following 20 years of service at the University of California in San Diego as a Professor of Surgery and Bioengineering. Dr. Woo’s research interests include biomechanics; experimental, theoretical and numerical analyses of the nonlinear material properties of biological tissues and developing new viscoelastic theories for soft tissue. He has studied the homeostatic responses of ligaments and tendons, which has led to the concept of “controlled motion is good.” For the last 25 years, Dr. Woo has found new ways to enhance the healing of the meniscus, tendons, and in particular, the MCL and ACL. More recently, his work has centered on functional tissue engineering of ligament healing and regeneration by examining the processes from molecular, to cellular to tissue levels, as well as the use of robotic technology to examine the function of the ACL and ACL replacement grafts. For his work, Dr. Woo has been recognized by many professional societies. Most notably, he has been inducted by the Institute of Medicine (USA), The National Academy of Engineering (USA), and Academia Sinica (Republic of China). In 1998 he was the winner of the IOC Olympic Prize for Sports Medicine and was awarded the first Olympic Gold Medal in Nagano, Japan. |
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The Department of Mechanical Engineering has 16 full time, 6 adjuct, and 5 emeritus faculty members