Andrew E. Anderson, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
Dr. Anderson received his Bachelors of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from Michigan Technological University in 2001 and earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Bioengineering from the University of Utah in 2007. His PhD dissertation developed and validated finite element (FE) models of the hip joint, under the direction of Dr. Jeff Weiss in the Musculoskeletal Research Laboratories. He completed a short postdoctoral fellowship in the Orthopaedic Research Laboratory at the University of Utah prior to promotion to Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics in December, 2007. He was also a Visiting Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Stanford University from June – September 2011.
Currently, Dr. Anderson is the co-Director of the University of Utah Orthopaedic Research Lab (ORL) in the Department of Orthopaedics and Director of Orthopaedic Research at the University of Utah Motion Capture Core Facility (MoCap) in the Department of Physical Therapy. He serves as the primary mentor to one postdoctoral fellow, one visiting fellow, several undergraduate assistants, and three PhD students from Bioengineering (Michael Harris, Christine Abraham, Ashley Kapron). He also serves as co-advisor to three PhD students in Bioengineering (Shawn Reese, Ben Ellis, Corinne Henak) and one student from Mechanical Engineering (Hang Xu).
Dr. Anderson’s research objective is to combine principles of experimental and computational and experimental engineering mechanics, motion analysis, and imaging to solve unique problems in biomedical engineering and orthopaedics. His areas of expertise include computational modeling (finite element analysis, musculoskeletal modeling), medical image data analysis, imaging (CT and fluoroscopy), and bone and soft tissue experimental biomechanics. Dr. Anderson’s primary research is directed at developing and analyzing patient-specific FE models of young adults to elucidate relationships between abnormal hip morphology (i.e. dysplasia, femoroacetabular impingement), cartilage contact mechanics, and predisposition to osteoarthritis. With regards to hip research, he collaborates with Dr. Christopher Peters, Dr. Stephen Aoki, Dr. Christopher Pelt, Jill Erickson PA, and Dr. Bruce MacWilliams . Other areas of research that Dr. Anderson is involved in includes analyzing the biomechanics of the shoulder in collaboration with Dr. Heath Henninger, Dr. Robert Burks, and Dr. Robert Tashjian.
At the MoCap, Dr. Anderson is directing the development and implementation of a unique biplanar x-ray system and instrumented treadmill. The biplane x-ray system accurately quantifies joint kinematics in-vivo while the instrumented treadmill simultaneously records ground reaction forces. Together, kinematics and kinetics are used to estimate muscle forces using musculoskeletal modeling software (OpenSim), which then drive patient-specific finite element models to estimate cartilage contact mechanics.
Dr. Anderson reviews for several medical journals, including: Journal of Biomechanics , Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, Journal of Applied Biomechanics, Journal of Orthopaedic Research , Medical Engineering and Physics, Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Bioengineering, Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine, Journal of Engineering in Medicine, Medical and Biological Engineering and Computing, Computers in Biology and Medicine, Annals of Biomedical Engineering, Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery. Dr. Anderson is a member of the Biomedical Engineering Society, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and Orthopaedic Research Society.
Barg A, Elsner A, Anderson AE, Hintermann B: The Effect of Three-Component Total Ankle Misalignment on Clinical Outcome: Pain Relief and Functional Outcome in 368 Consecutive Patients. Journal of Bone and Joint Surg Am 2011 Nov 2;93(21):1969-78. [abstract]
Barg A, Knupp M, Anderson AE, Hintermann B: Total Ankle Replacement in Obese Patients: Component Stability, Weight Change, and Functional Outcome in 118 Consecutive Patients. Foot and Ankle International 2011. IFFAS Award Paper;32(10):925-32. [abstract]
Kapron AL, Anderson AE, Aoki SK, Phillips LG, Petron DJ, Toth R, Peters CL, Radiographic Prevalence of Femoroacetabular Impingement in Collegiate Football Players: AAOS Exhibit Selection. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2011 Oct 5;93(19):e1111-10. [abstract]
Henninger HB, Barg A, Anderson AE, Bachus KN, Burks RT, Tashjian RZ, Effect of lateral offset center of rotation in reverse total shoulder arthroplasty: a biomechanical study. J Shoulder Elbow Surg 2011 Oct 29. [abstract]
Henak CR, Ellis BJ, Harris MD, Anderson AE, Peters CL, Weiss JA, Role of the acetabular labrum in load support across the hip joint. J Biomech 2011 Aug 11;44(12):2201-6. [abstract]
Henninger HB, Barg A, Anderson AE, Bachus KN, Tashjian RZ, Burks RT, Effect of deltoid tension and humeral version in reverse total shoulder arthroplasty: a biomechanical study. J Shoulder Elbow Surg 2011 Apr 27. [abstract]
Peters CL, Anderson LA, Erickson JA, Anderson AE, Weiss JA, An algorithmic approach to surgical decision making in acetabular retroversion. Orthopedics 2011 Jan 3;34(1):10. [abstract]
Allen BC, Peters CL, Brown NA, Anderson AE, Acetabular cartilage thickness: accuracy of three-dimensional reconstructions from multidetector CT arthrograms in a cadaver study. Radiology 2010 May;255(2):544-52. [abstract]
Anderson AE, Ellis BJ, Maas SA, Weiss JA, Effects of idealized joint geometry on finite element predictions of cartilage contact stresses in the hip. J Biomech 2010 May 7;43(7):1351-7. [abstract]
Henninger HB, Reese SP, Anderson AE, Weiss JA, Validation of computational models in biomechanics. Proc Inst Mech Eng H 2010;224(7):801-12. [abstract]
Peters CL, Erickson JA, Anderson L, Anderson AE, Weiss J, Hip-preserving surgery: understanding complex pathomorphology. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2009 Nov;91 Suppl 6():42-58. [abstract]
Anderson AE, Ellis BJ, Maas SA, Peters CL, Weiss JA, Validation of finite element predictions of cartilage contact pressure in the human hip joint. J Biomech Eng 2008 Oct;130(5):051008. [abstract]
Anderson AE, Ellis BJ, Peters CL, Weiss JA, Cartilage thickness: factors influencing multidetector CT measurements in a phantom study. Radiology 2008 Jan;246(1):133-41. [abstract]
Anderson AE, Ellis BJ, Weiss JA, Verification, validation and sensitivity studies in computational biomechanics. Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin 2007 Jun;10(3):171-84. [abstract]
Anderson AE, Peters CL, Tuttle BD, Weiss JA, Subject-specific finite element model of the pelvis: development, validation and sensitivity studies. J Biomech Eng 2005 Jun;127(3):364-73. [abstract]