Biomechanics Lab

Biomechanics is especially important in Orthopaedic Surgery, a specialty that requires precision to treat injuries relating to bones, joints, tendons, muscles and other aspects of the body’s musculoskeletal system.  LSU Health Shreveport faculty physicians, medical students, residents and researchers are teaming up in the Biomechanics Laboratory to assist Orthopaedic surgeons in the development and evaluation of surgical approaches.

Giovanni Solitro, PhD, Associate Professor, Archibald Bell Nelson, MD Endowed Professorship in Orthopaedic Surgery, and Director of Biomechanics Research and Education. The two personnel who attend to the lab include a Research Technician and Research Associate with a combined 50 years of Orthopaedic Research related activities.  Teams in the lab consist of four people: Dr. Solitro, a faculty physician, a resident, and a medical student. 

The only known lab of its kind in Louisiana, the Biomechanics Lab at LSU Health Shreveport provides the environment, equipment, and tools for research within the basic science aspect of Orthopaedics. The lab is completely independent and has control over the research project processes from concept to prototype. 

Advancement in Orthopedic science is obtained through the analysis of surgical procedures in simple, mathematically driven tasks, and the development of surgical tools for procedures when this analysis is too difficult to be performed in real time. Two research methods are used to develop and evaluate a wide array of Orthopaedic surgical approaches: in silico experiments, which are conducted or produced with computer modeling or computer simulation, and in vitro experiments, which take place in the lab with the assistance of specialized equipment.