Were you one of the 7, 000 people touring the new first-of-a-kind sports facility in Pittsburgh this weekend? The remarkable UPMC LEMIEUX Sports Complex—meant for training and treatment—has just opened its doors to welcome athletes of all ages and skill levels. The new facility, which boasts 50 sports medicine experts on site, uses science-based medicine to not only help prevent injury, but predict it.
UPMC LEMIEUX Sports Complex Creating Sports Magic in Pittsburgh
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The 185, 000 square foot complex is a sophisticated mix of a practice facility for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and an outpatient treatment center for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). With 24 dedicated orthopedic exam rooms, as well as MRI and X-ray equipment, the UPMC LEMIEUX Sports Complex is redefining what is possible under one roof.
There are two full size hockey rinks and a sports performance space where athletes can focus on developing their talents and optimizing performance. In addition, athletes can undergo physical and aquatic therapy onsite. High level sports medicine research is being performed the UPMC LEMIEUX Sports Complex, with physician-researchers asking the most pertinent questions related to injury and repair. There is truly something for everyone, with ice skating available to the public, and a Pittsburgh Penguins’ elite program for young athletes.
Vonda Wright, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon with the University of Pittsburgh, is medical director of the UPMC LEMIEUX Sports Complex. Dr. Wright commented to OTW, “The UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex is the first of its kind partnership between elite sports medicine and elite hockey. We are working to build better athletes of all ages and skill levels and optimize human performance for the playing field and the game of life by unifying our tradition of delivering the best in sports medicine with elite hockey with world class sports performance and innovative research.”
Freddie H. Fu, M.D. is chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. He told OTW, “UPMC never stops trying to take the best care of the patients with the best doctors.”
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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