Timothy Wright, PhD

Appointments

Senior Scientist, Hospital for Special Surgery

Professor of Applied Biomechanics, Department of Orthopaedics, Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Member, Biomedical Engineering Program, College of Engineering, Cornell University

Timothy Wright, PhD has contributed to the following articles on HSS.edu:

Selected Publications

Furman BD, Maher SA, Morgan T, Wright TM: Elevated Crosslinking Alone Does Not Explain Polyethylene Wear Resistance. In Crosslinked and Thermally Treated Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene for Joint Replacements ASTM STP 1445, (eds SM Kurtz, R Gsell, J Martell), ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2004.

Maher S, Lipman J, Curley L, Gilchrist M, Wright T: Mechanical Performance of Ceramic Acetabular Liners Under Impact Conditions of Impingement, J Arthroplasty, 18:936-41, 2003.

Valero-Cuevas FJ, Smaby N, Venkadesan M, Peterson M, Wright T: The Strength–Dexterity Test as a Measure of Dynamic Pinch Performance. J Biomech 36:265-270, 2003.

Wright TM: Knee Biomechanics and Design. In Total Knee Arthroplasty (ed by J Callaghan, et al.), pp 145-162, Lippicott Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, 2003.

Wright TM and Goodman SB: Implant Wear in Total Joint Replacement: Clinical and Biologic Issues, Materials and Design Considerations. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Rosemont, IL, 2001.

Research Description

Orthopaedic Biomechanics and Biomaterials

Dr. Wright’s research interests are in the design of orthopedic devices with an emphasis on the wear of polyethylene total joint components. He is also focusing on the performance of bone implant systems and the analysis of retrieved components and problems with fixation as well as the mechanical properties of bone tissue.

Among Dr. Wright's current projects are an integrated approach to understanding knee component wear combining observations on retrieved components, wear experiments on a knee joint simulator, and a numerical simulation of the simulator. The goal is to provide a direct link between the wear damage mechanisms and the stress and strain state of the material.

Also under investigation are a study of cortical bone response to load as function of magnitude, frequency and duration, and a study of trabecular bone remodeling under the influence of load and growth factors using an animal model.

Dr. Wright joined the Hospital for Special Surgery in 1976 and the Cornell University Medical College in 1978. He is a recipient of honors for excellence in research from the Hip Society and the Knee Society and earned a Kappa Delta Award from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. A past Whitaker Fellow and a past recipient of a Research Career Development Award from NIH, Dr. Wright served as president of the Orthopaedic Research Society in 1992. He is a former consulting editor for research of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery and is currently editor of the Journal of Orthopaedic Research. Recently, Dr. Wright received a Director's Special Citation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for his work on a forum of academic, industry and agency representatives striving to improve the regulatory process for orthopedic devices.

Clinical Trials

• The Anatomy of the Collateral Ligaments of the Thumb MP Joint and Strength-Testing of a New Construction

Industry Relationships

Industry Relationships

One of the goals of Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is to advance the science of orthopedic surgery, rheumatology, and related disciplines for the benefit of patients. Research staff at HSS may collaborate with outside companies for education, research and medical advances. HSS supports this collaboration in order to foster medical breakthroughs; however, HSS also believes that these collaborations must be disclosed.

As part of the disclosure process, this website lists Research staff collaborations with outside companies if the Research staff member received any payment during the prior year or expects to receive any payment in the next year. The disclosures are based on information provided by the Research staff and other sources and are updated regularly. Current ownership interests and leadership positions are also listed. Further information may be available on individual company websites.

Below are the industry relationships reported by Dr. Wright as of February 28, 2013.

• Mathys AG Bettlach - Royalties
• Orthobond Corporation - Scientific Advisory Board

By disclosing the collaborations of HSS Research staff with industry on this website, HSS and its Research staff make this information available to patients and the public, thus creating a transparent environment for those who are interested in this information. Further, HSS’ Conflicts of Interest Policy does not permit payment of royalties on products developed by him/her that are used on patients at HSS.

Feel free to ask the Research staff member about their relationship(s).