Sports Medicine Experts

Christopher D. Harner, MD
Medical Director, UPMC Center for Sports Medicine

Dr. Harner is the Blue Cross of Western Pennsylvania Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. In addition, he is medical director at the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine and the Sports Medicine Fellowship Program director. Dr. Harner specializes in sports medicine and knee surgery. He has a long history of clinical and basic science research.

Dr. Harner's clinical and academic leadership in sports medicine is evidenced by numerous grants, awards, and published scientific articles in clinical and research journals. His dedication to orthopaedics and sports medicine is marked by his commitment to research and education. He consistently has been named among The Best Doctors in America: Northeast Region and as one of Pittsburgh's Top Doctors by Pittsburgh Magazine. Dr. Harner serves as the Head Team Physician for the Pittsburgh Penguins, as well as Duquesne University, Central Catholic High School, and Woodland Hills High School.      

Freddie H. Fu, MD
Chair, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

In addition to his role as chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC, Dr. Fu is the David Silver Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery. He also has served as the head physician for the University of Pittsburgh Department of Athletics since 1986, and was instrumental in establishing the Sports and Preventive Medicine Institute in 1985, the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine, which opened in October 2000, and the University of Pittsburgh's Sports Medicine Fellowship Program.

The recipient of more than 200 awards and numerous major research grants, Dr. Fu is known worldwide for his pioneering surgical techniques, attracting patients — both athletes and non-athletes — from all over the globe. He is also world-renowned for his research on the biomechanics of sports injuries, and has edited 29 major textbooks, authored 116 book chapters and 437 peer-reviewed articles, and has given 958 national and international presentations.  

Albert Lin, MD
At the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine, Dr. Lin is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in shoulder and sports injuries, including arthroscopic shoulder surgery, complex shoulder conditions, shoulder replacement, rotator cuff tears, and ACL reconstruction. He also serves as an assistant professor in the Division of Sports Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Dr. Lin earned a medical degree at Harvard Medical School in Boston, where he completed a residency in orthopaedic surgery, as well as a fellowship in shoulder and elbow. He also completed an additional fellowship in sports medicine at UPMC. 

Volker Musahl, MD
After earning his medical degree at Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg in Germany, Dr. Musahl moved to the United States, where he completed his residency at the University of Pittsburgh and a fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery Sports Medicine and Shoulder in New York City.  In addition to his work as a University of Pittsburgh professor and a leading orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Musahl is also an associated team physician for the University of Pittsburgh football team, as well as team physician for Carlow University and Mt. Lebanon High School.

His research interests include knee and shoulder biomechanics. Recently, he was awarded the Cabaud Memorial Award, which was given for the best paper researching hard or soft tissue biology. He also won the Aircast Award for Basic Science for his collaborative work on ACL reconstruction. Currently, Dr. Musahl is assistant professor of bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering and assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Stephen Rabuck, MD
With a specialty in sports medicine, Dr. Rabuck is an orthopaedic surgeon at the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine and clinical instructor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. His areas of clinical expertise include treatment of sports related injuries of the athlete, with a special research interest in ACL reconstruction, surgical repair of tendon ruptures, and post-surgical rehabilitation.

Dr. Rabuck earned a medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and went on to complete a residency in orthopaedic surgery at Northwestern University in Chicago. He then returned to UPMC to complete a fellowship in sports medicine.

Mark W. Rodosky, MD
Dr. Rodosky is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in the treatment of shoulder problems in patients of all ages and both sexes. His patients include local people and professional athletes from around the world, with shoulder problems ranging from the common to the complex. Dr. Rodosky has special expertise in minimally invasive arthroscopic techniques, as well as in difficult open reconstructions and replacements. 

Dr. Rodosky serves as chief of UPMC's Shoulder Service and has taught residents, fellows, and practicing orthopaedic surgeons from many different countries. He earned a degree in biomedical engineering from Northwestern University in Chicago, and went completed his medical degree at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He completed a residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh and the prestigious Neer Shoulder Fellowship at Columbia University in New York. Dr. Rodosky is consistently named one of The Best Doctors in America and to Pittsburgh Magazine's Top Doctors list.  He is world-renowned for his biomechanical and clinical research, and has written numerous articles and presented numerous lectures nationally and internationally. 

Dharmesh Vyas, MD
Dr. Vyas specializes in adult and pediatric sports medicine injuries, including open and arthroscopic surgery of the knee, shoulder, and hip. A graduate of the University of Illinois College of Medicine, he completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Chicago Hospitals and his sports medicine fellowships at UPMC, the Klinikum Rechts der Isar in Germany, and the Centre Albert Trillat in France. Currently, Dr. Vyas holds positions at the University of Pittsburgh and the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, and has co-authored publications on his research interests, which include the basic science and treatment of ACL reconstruction, meniscal repair, and the biomechanics of shoulder instability. A member of the American Orthopaedic Society of Sports Medicine (AOSSM) and the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA), he is also board-eligible for American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).

Robin V. West, MD
In addition to her recent feature on the NBC Nightly News Online report, “Knee Injuries Up in Young Athletes,” Dr. West also spoke out in an online interview about being a mother, wife, and orthopedic surgeon, and the new opportunities granted women in today’s medical field. An assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh in the Department of Orthopedics, Dr. West specializes in sports medicine and is head team physician for the University of Pittsburgh men’s basketball team, Carnegie Mellon University, and the Riverhounds Professional Soccer Club, as well as assistant team physician for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Vonda J. Wright, MD
Dr. Wright is an orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine and works to optimize her patients’ mobility. She is especially interested in aging athletes and how physical aptitude affects mobility, and other aspects of general health, as people age. She is director of the Performance and Research Initiative for Masters Athletes (PRIMA), the first program of its kind in a medical setting.

Dr. Wright first came to the University of Pittsburgh in 1999 as an orthopaedic surgery resident. She completed a research fellowship in the Musculoskeletal Growth and Development Lab, and a one-year sports medicine and upper extremity fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. She received her bachelor’s degree in biology from Wheaton College, in Wheaton, Ill.; her master’s degree in oncology nursing from Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago, and her medical degree from the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago. 

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