Orthopaedic Sports Medicine

Dr. Laura Pietrosimone’s research agenda focuses on developing movement-based interventions to address the lasting consequences of both acute and chronic lower extremity injuries. She has a particular interest in exploring how both laboratory biomechanics measurement and real-world assessments of physical activity intersect and developing innovative, personalized rehabilitation strategies to promote joint health and optimize patient quality of life. Her work is primarily focused on athletic and active populations who experience sports-related traumatic injury and chronic overuse injury, particularly ACL injury and lower extremity tendinopathy, respectively, but she is passionate about inter-disciplinary initiatives that promote wellness and physical activity across many populations. In particular, she works closely with the Division of Sports Medicine and the inter-disciplinary team at the Duke Sports Science Institute and with the Michael W. Krzyzewski Human Performance Lab (K-Lab) to drive patient-centered clinical research in sports medicine.

Current Research Studies

Validation of an Evidence-Based Return to Sport Decision Tool after ACL Reconstruction
Funding: American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine
Co-Investigator (Site PI for Duke University) (PI: Mark Paterno)
A multi-site project with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Ohio State University, and High Point University

Characterizing Changes in Knee Joint Loading with Wearable Sensor Technology following an Experimental Knee Joint Effusion.
Principal Investigator

Perseverance following ACLR: Changes Over Time and its Relationship to Clinical Measures
Principal Investigator

Past Research Studies

Load Characteristics and Responses in Male Athletes with Patellar Tendinopathy Foundation for Physical Therapy, PODS II Scholarship
Principal Investigator