Description of Research Expertise

My research focus includes clinical research in various shoulder and elbow topics as well as basic science research investigating tendon and ligament injury, repair, and healing. As Director of the Shoulder Study Group in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania I help coordinate clinically-oriented shoulder and elbow related research projects among a multi-disciplinary team. Projects focus on clinical outcomes as well as protocol development. Through my position at Penn, my appointment at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center (PVAMC), and as a member of the McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory at Penn and the Translational Musculoskeletal Research Center at the PVAMC, I participate in studies that aim to answer fundamental questions regarding structure-function relationships and mechanisms of tendon and ligament pathology and repair. These investigations include the use of multiple animal model systems.

Selected Publications

Madi R, Marcelin J, Kamalitdinov TB, Jiang X, Assi S, Kim DH, Mauck RL, Kuntz AF, Dyment NA: Localized Delivery of a Hedgehog Agonist from Electrospun Scaffolds Enhances Tendon-to-Bone Integration Orthopaedic Research Society 2024 Annual Meeting, Long Beach, CA : 2024.

Marcelin J, Madi R, Assi S, Jiang X, Kim DH, Bernstein E, Kokubun T, Mauck RL, Kuntz AF, Dyment NA: Innovative Scaffold Delivery for Localized Hh Pathway Activation in Tendon-to-Bone Repair Orthopaedic Research Society 2024 Annual Meeting, Long Beach, CA : 2024.

Friday CS, Nuss CA, Eekhoff JD, Soslowsky LJ, Kuntz AF: Treadmill Running Does Not Induce Mechanical Changes in the Rat Subscapularis Tendon Orthopaedic Research Society 2024 Annual Meeting, Long Beach, CA : 2024.

DiStefano MS, Weiss SN, Kuntz AF, Soslowsky LJ: Tendon-Targeted Collagen V Deficiency and Knockout Attenuate Mature Supraspinatus Tendon Mechanics Orthopaedic Research Society 2024 Annual Meeting, Long Beach, CA : 2024.

DiStefano MS, Weiss SN, Kuntz AF, Soslowsky LJ: Acute Knockdown of Collagen V Alters Mature Supraspinatus Tendon Regional Structure and Function Orthopaedic Research Society 2024 Annual Meeting, Long Beach, CA : 2024.

Nuss C, Betts R, Eekhoff JD, Soslowsky LJ, Kuntz AF: Disruption of The Anterosuperior Rotator Cuff Leads to Ambulatory and Grip Strength Deficits in a Rat Model Orthopaedic Research Society 2024 Annual Meeting, Long Beach, CA : 2024.

Kamalitdinov TB, Fujino K, Keith Lang S, Madi R, Jiang X, Kuntz AF, Dyment NA: Graft Press-fit Promotes Tunnel Integration After ACL Reconstruction Orthopaedic Research Society 2024 Annual Meeting, Long Beach, CA : 2024.

Little D, Amadio PC, Awad HA, Cone SG, Dyment NA, Fisher MB, Huang AH, Koch DW, Kuntz AF, Madi R, McGilvray K, Schnabel LV, Shetye SS, Thomopoulos S, Zhao C, Soslowsky LJ: Preclinical tendon and ligament models: Beyond the 3Rs (replacement, reduction, and refinement) to 5W1H (why, who, what, where, when, how) J Orthop Res 41 (10): 2133-2162,2023.

Dyment NA, Kuntz AF, Soslowsky LJ: Special issue: Guiding the future of tendon research J Orthop Res 41 (10): 2081,2023.

Kamalitdinov TB, Fujino K, Keith Lang S, Jiang X, Madi R, Evans MK, Zgonis MH, Kuntz AF, Dyment NA.: Targeting the hedgehog signaling pathway to improve tendon-to-bone integration Osteoarthritis Cartilage 31 (9): 1202-1213,2023.

Academic Contact Information

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Penn Medicine University City
3737 Market Street
Suite 600
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 215-662-3340
Patient appointments: 800-789-7366