Suzanne Maher, PhD

Appointments

Associate Scientist, Hospital for Special Surgery

Associate Director, Department of Biomechanics, Hospital for Special Surgery

Associate Director, Tissue Engineering, Regeneration and Repair Program, Hospital for Special Surgery

Associate Professor of Applied Biomechanics in Orthopaedic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University

Suzanne Maher, PhD has contributed to the following articles on HSS.edu:

Selected Publications

Guo H, Maher SA, Spilker RL. Biphasic finite element contact analysis of the knee joint using an augmented Lagrangian method. Med Eng Phys. 2013 Mar 13. [Epub ahead of print]

Allon AA, Hammoud S, Russell BH, Jones CM, Rivera JJ, Schwartz J, Hook M, Maher SA. Augmenting the articular cartilage-implant interface: functionalizing with a collagen adhesion protein. J. Biomedical Materials Research, 2012 Aug;100(8):2168-75.

Ng KW, Torzilli PA, Warren RF, Maher SA. Biomechanical characterization of a macroporous polyvinyl alcohol scaffold for the repair of focal articular cartilage defects. J. Tissue Engineering Regenerative Medicine, 2012 May 2.

Ng KW, Wanivenhaus F, Hsu H-C, Allon AA, Abrams VD, Torzilli PA, Warren RF, Maher SA. A novel macroporous polyvinyl alcohol scaffold promotes chondrocyte migration and interface formation in an in vitro cartilage defect model. Tissue Eng Part A. 2012 Jun;18(11-12):1273-81.

Ng KW, Wanivenhaus F, Chen T, Abrams VD, Torzilli PA, Warren RF, Maher SA. Differential Cross-Linking And Radio-Protective Effects Of Genipin On Mature Bovine And Human Patella Tendons, Accepted, J. Cell and Tissue Banking. Differential cross-linking and radio-protective effects of genipin on mature bovine and human patella tendons. 2012 Feb 21. [Epub ahead of print]

Moran CJ, Barry FP, Maher SA, Shannon FJ, Rodeo SA. Advancing Regenerative Surgery in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine: The Critical Role of the Surgeon. Am J Sports Med. 2011 Nov 15. [Epub ahead of print]

Bedi A, Kelly N, Baad M, Fox AJ, Ma Y, Warren RF, Maher SA. Dynamic contact mechanics of radial tears of the lateral meniscus: implications for treatment. Arthroscopy. 2012 Mar;28(3):372-81. Epub 2011 Nov 9.

Spiller KL, Maher SA, Lowman AM. Hydrogels for the repair of articular cartilage defects. Tissue Eng Part B Rev. 2011 Aug;17(4):281-99. Epub 2011 Jun 30.

Scholten PM, Ng KW, Joh K, Serino LP, Warren RF, Torzilli PA, Maher SA. A semi-degradable composite scaffold for articular cartilage defects. J Biomed Mater Res A. 2011 Feb 9.

Galley NK, Gleghorn JP, Rodeo S, Warren RF, Maher SA, Bonassar LJ. Frictional properties of the meniscus improve after scaffold-augmented repair of partial meniscectomy: a pilot study. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2011 Oct;469(10):2817-23.

Maher, S.A., Rodeo S.A., Potter HG, Bonassar L.J., Wright T.M., Warren R.F.A Pre-Clinical Test Platform for the Functional Evaluation of Scaffolds for Musculoskeletal Defects: The Meniscus. In Press, HSS Journal: The Musculoskeletal Journal of Hospital for Special Surgery, 2011, Vol 7, No. 2.

Maher SA, Rodeo SA, Doty SB, Brophy R, Potter H, Foo LF, Rosenblatt L, Deng XH, Turner AS, Wright TM, Warren RF. Evaluation of a porous polyurethane scaffold in a partial meniscal defect ovine model. Arthroscopy. 2010 Nov;26(11):1510-9. Epub 2010 Sep 19.

Bedi A, Kelly NH, Baad M, Fox AJ, Brophy RH, Warren RF, Maher SA. Dynamic contact mechanics of the medial meniscus as a function of radial tear, repair, and partial meniscectomy. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2010 Jun;92(6):1398-408.

Gleghorn JP, Doty SB, Warren RF, Wright TM, Maher SA, Bonassar LJ. Analysis of frictional behavior and changes in morphology resulting from cartilage articulation with porous polyurethane foams. J Orthop Res. 2010 Oct;28(10):1292-9. Erratum in: J Orthop Res. 2010 Dec;28(12):1677.

Maher SA, Mauck RL, Rackwitz L, Tuan RS. A nanofibrous cell-seeded hydrogel promotes integration in a cartilage gap model. J Tissue Eng Regen Med. 2010 Jan;4(1):25-9.

Cottrell J.M., Scholten P., Wanich T., Warren R.F., Wright T.M., Maher S.A. A new technique to measure the dynamic contact pressures on the Tibial Plateau.J Biomech. 2008 Jul 19;41(10):2324-9.

Brophy R.H. Cottrell J., Deng X-H, Rodeo, R.S., Wright, T.M., Warren, R.F., Maher, S.A., Improvement In Dynamic Contact Mechanics After Partial Lateral Meniscal  Replacement With A Synthetic Scaffold In An Ovine Cadaver Model, J Biomed Mater Res A. 2009 Mar 25.

Ballyns J.J., Gleghorn J.P., Niebrzydowski V., Rawlinson J.J., Potter H.G., Maher S.A., Wright T.M., Bonassar L.J. Image-guided tissue engineering of anatomically shaped implants via MRI and micro-CT using injection molding. Tissue Eng Part A. 2008 Jul;14(7):1195-202.

Charlton D.C., Peterson M.G., Spiller K., Lowman A., Torzilli P.A., Maher S.A. Semi-Degradable Scaffold for Articular Cartilage Replacement. Tissue Eng. Part A, 2008; 14(1): 207-213.

Maher S.A., Doty S.B., Torzilli P.A., Thornton A., Lowman A., Thomas J., Warren R., Wright T.M., Meyers E., Nondegradable Hydrogels for the Treatment of Focal Cartilage Defects. J Biomed Mater Res A. 2007; 83(1):145-55.

Maher S.A., Meyers K., Borens O., Suk M., Grose A., Wright T.M., Helfet D, Biomechanical evaluation of an expandable nail for the fixation of midshaft fractures, The Journal of Trauma, Injury, Infection and Critical Care, 2007 Jul;63(1):103-7.

Maher, S.A., Furman, B.D., Wright, T.M., 2004, The Effect of Reduced Fracture Toughness on Pitting and Delamination Type Wear of Elevated Cross-Linked Polyethylene, ASTM STP 1445, S.M. Kurtz, R. Gsell, and J. Martell, Eds., ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA ISBN: 0-8031-3474-6: 137-150.

Maher, S.A., Prendergast, P.J., 2002, Pre-Clinical Testing of Cemented Hip Prostheses, Journal of Biomechanics, 35(2):257-65.

Maher, S.A., Lyons, C.G., Prendergast, P.J., 2001, Measurement of the migration of a cemented hip prosthesis in an vitro test, Clinical Biomechanics, Vol. 16,  pp.307-314.

Prendergast, P.J., Maher, S.A., 2001, Issues in Pre-Clinical Testing of Implants, Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 118, 337-342.

Maher, S.A., Prendergast, P.J., Reid, A.J., Waide, V., Toni, A., 2000, Design and validation of a machine for reproducible insertion of femoral prostheses, Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 122:203–7.

Maher, S.A., McCormack, B.A.O., 1999, An Analysis of the Interdigitation Between Bone Cement and Cancellous Bone In Cemented Femoral Replacements, Proceedings of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, Journal of Engineering in Medicine, Vol. 213, Part H, pp. 347 – 354

Research Description

Dr. Maher received a BE and MEngSc in Mechanical Engineering from University College Dublin, Ireland. She studied for her PhD in Trinity College Dublin, after which she came to Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) as a post-doctoral fellow. She has been a Scientist at HSS since 2002; which was punctuated by a period of research at the National Institutes of Health in Dr. Rocky Tuan's laboratory.

Her early research focused on the pre-clinical evaluation of materials intended for total joint replacement. More recently, she has used her knowledge about the pre-clinical testing of total joint replacements to develop, test, and optimize solutions for the treatment of soft tissue defects, specifically of the meniscus and articular cartilage. The goal of Dr. Maher’s research is to develop biomaterials for joint restoration (http://www.hss.edu/biomechanics-research.asp) that can be used to treat young active patients with chondral or meniscal defects early in the course of the problem, thus delaying the need for a total joint replacement.  To achieve this goal, she and her team have built models to:
(i) understand how injury affects the mechanics of the knee joint,
(ii) assess the ability of scaffolds/ implants to restore pre-injury mechanics to the knee joint,
(iii) assess the ability of implants to integrate with the host tissue.

The models used include joint-level loading systems, capable of applying physiological loads to knees to mimic every-day activities; tissue-level systems, capable of applying mechanical stimulus to cell-seeded implants and their implant-tissue interfaces; virtual models, capable of modeling the tissue level stresses and strains; and in vivo models that can be used to understand the performance of candidate materials for the repair of soft tissue defects.

Dr. Maher’s team is using the unique platform of preclinical tests to evaluate the functional performance of clinically available scaffolds/ implants; they are also working to optimize the design of in-house developed implants, with a specific focus on non-degradable or partly degradable constructs that can mechanically function much in the way of the native tissue. One such implant for the treatment of cartilage defects is currently at an advanced level of pre-clinical testing, supported in part by the BioAccelerate NYC Program (http://www.bioacceleratenyc.org/).

Dr. Maher works in multi-disciplinary teams which blend experimental, computational, and statistical models with the clinical expertise of orthopaedic surgeons. As a member of the Department of Biomechanics and the Tissue Engineering Regeneration and Repair program at Hospital for Special Surgery, she works closely with faculty from both groups and her research is strongly tied to that of HSS senior Sports Medicine Orthopaedic surgeons Dr. Warren and Dr. Rodeo. Her research team at Hospital for Special Surgery includes post-doctoral students, medical students, residents, fellows, technicians, research engineers, design engineers, and a machinist. Other key collaborators include chemical engineers, cell biologists, radiologists, statisticians, and material scientists from Hospital for Special Surgery, Cornell University, Drexel University, Temple University, Princeton University, Texas A&M, and the Ohio State University.

She is an active member of the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS), the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), and the American Society for Mechanical Engineering (ASME). From 2009 to 2011 she was the ORS liaison to the Biomedical Engineering Committee of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; and she is currently Topic Chair for the ‘Meniscus’ sessions. She is an active participant in the Perry Initiative outreach program (http://perryinitiative.org/ ) which is intended to inspire young women to be leaders in the exciting fields of Orthopaedic Surgery and Engineering.

Research Team

Post-Doctoral Fellows, Clinical Fellows:
Tony Chen, PhD
Demetris Delos, MD
Honqiang Guo, PhD
Ian Hutchinson, MD
Moira McCarthy, MD
Cathal Moran, MD
Hongsheng Wang, PhD

Research Engineers:
Suza Gilbert, MS
Kirsten Stoner, MS
Scott Tucker, MS

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.

As of March 12, 2013, Dr. Maher reported no financial interest relationships with industry.

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.