Freddie H. Fu, M.D.: A Force of Nature

Like meat in a supermarket…

“Traditionally,” says Dr. Fu, “physicians have looked at the ACL like meat in a supermarket. But the real ACL is like a pounding heart…it’s a really active, beautiful structure.”

“I have learned that the bony morphology is critical because it dictates what the ACL is like. I examined the knees of so many species alongside Dr. Lovejoy, looking at how many bundles there were, the location of the insertion sites, etc. The knee—and the ACL—is not a one-size-fits-all situation.”

“It’s like fingerprints and if you treat them all the same then you miss out on important details. Before each surgery I do a preop 2D/3D evaluation—along with an MRI—so that I know how big the ACL is, the bony morphology, etc.”

“There are stem cells in the ACL so it has its own healing potential. We conducted one study that found high cytokine levels in all postop patients, showing that the environment is unfriendly for ACL healing. On the other hand, some patients can heal by themselves. This is evidence that even more work is needed on this complex ligament.”

As for what Dr. Fu finds important, he says, “We all make mistakes, so it is important to be critical of oneself; if you think you are perfect then you won’t progress in life. I always ask another question, such as, ‘Why will or won’t XYZ work?’ In our weekly two-hour ACL meetings, my team and I go over all of our cases and ask such questions.”

Dr. Fu has taught his processes to thousands of promising surgeons. “At any one time we have roughly 15 fellows from all over world. We run 13 labs, the latest of which is our robotic lab that has a custom robot from Japan. There are only four in world and we have the only one in the U.S. This amazing machine is programmed to study cadavers and will be providing a plethora of vital information going forward to help us see the knee that nobody else can see.”

Asked what promising things he sees on the horizon for orthopedics, Dr. Fu noted, “It is imperative that we more fully understand anatomy…orthopedic surgery is fundamentally all about anatomy. And it is not one size fits all…we must truly individualize cases.”

This enduring man is endearing…

Dr. Fu’s longtime friend and colleague, James Kang, M.D., chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Thornhill Family Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School, said this about Dr. Fu “I did my orthopedic residency at the University of Pittsburgh 1992 and later returned as an assistant professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, later serving as the UPMC Endowed Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery. Freddie was a constant presence in my life, each day passionately urging me to think more deeply about issues that were arising. I think it is that passion that makes him tick.”

Describing Dr. Fu as THE most energetic individual he has ever met, Dr. Kang notes, “His love of orthopedics really fuels him and is probably responsible for his being able to give so much of himself. He has actually been known to fly from Pittsburgh to Australia, give a complex presentation, and four hours later get on a plane to go back home for work the next morning.”

Using the words “focused” and “ambitious” for Dr. Fu, Dr. Kang says that the most important clinical thing he ever learned from him was “the art of conveying to patient that you really care in short period of time.”

“Freddie has a way of quickly making patients feel endeared to him. He has a photographic memory. If you tell him that your uncle had cancer or that you took a trip to the Amazon, then he will ask you about it later…and patients truly appreciate that.”

As for what Dr. Fu taught him about running a program, Dr. Kang states, “He taught me to be benevolent. As chair one can wield a lot of power, but Freddie said that you can be strong but be good to people at the same time…without a quid pro quo. It was an honor to be his disciple.”