Alvin W. Su

Biography

I am a full-time practicing orthopedic surgeon in the US. My surgical practice focuses on youth sports medicine, including knee, shoulder, hip and elbow arthroscopic surgeries, ligamentous reconstruction for ACL injuries and patellar instability, cartilage repair/restoration, meniscus procedures and general fracture care.

I am determined to pursue the career trajectory of a leading surgeon-scientist in sports medicine and pediatric orthopaedic surgery. I earned my PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from University of California – San Diego. My PhD dissertation used a translational model and answered key clinical questions on the biomechanics of knee cartilage repair. Further, I am currently the principal investigators of several research grants and projects analyzing the biomechanics of various scales in sports medicine, from martial arts motions to tissue scale repair structures, as well as developing a novel approach to bioengineer cartilage repair constructs.

Additionally, I also have keen interest and experience in clinical research and have published in epidemiology, medical economics and patient outcomes. My internal drive on research is to answer clinically relevant questions that would bring future paradigm shifts in pediatric sports medicine. This is a growing sub-specialty that continues to benefit from new discovery research in translational science, since “young patients are not always just smaller-sized adults” when it comes to surgery and post-operative rehabilitation.

I currently serve on the Research Committee of the AOSSM, and chair the Research Subcommittee of the POSNA Global Outreach Committee. I have also served on the Research Committee and the Microgrant Committee of POSNA. I have also been a member of the ORS.