University of Pittsburgh Library System

The University of Pittsburgh Library System is pleased to announce the acquisition of the papers of Dr. Freddie Fu, noted orthopaedic surgeon and a leader in the field of sports medicine. The collection consists of presentations delivered by Dr. Fu and treatment overviews documenting advancements he made in orthopaedic surgery, particularly anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.

Dr. Fu was born in Hong Kong and came to the United States to study at Dartmouth, where he earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees. In 1977 he earned his M.D. from the University of Pittsburgh and joined Pitt’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in 1982, eventually becoming the department chair in 1998. Dr. Fu founded the Sports Medicine Center in 1986 and worked to develop it into an internationally acclaimed program. It was renamed the UPMC Freddie Fu Sports Medicine Center in 2018.

During his career, Dr. Fu authored more papers about ACL research than any other physician. His influence can also be seen in the thousands of medical students, residents, and fellows he worked with at the university. In addition to his various professional activities and over 260 awards and honors, he was also a supporter of Western Pennsylvania athletics and served on numerous area committees. His local contributions led to him being named one of Pittsburgh Magazine’s “100 Pittsburghers of the Century” in 1999.

Spanning the last decade of his career, the Dr. Fu archive consists of over 500 treatment overviews documenting changes and advancements in ACL reconstruction and the amount of detail and care Dr. Fu applied to each of his patients. In addition to the completed overviews, there are also complete recordings of procedures performed by Dr. Fu. The collection also includes presentations given by Dr. Fu and pre-recorded talks from 2020 and 2021. These presentations pertain to specific issues and treatments and general overviews of orthopaedic surgery.

The acquisition of the Dr. Fu Papers is a valuable addition to the holdings by Archives & Special Collections and serves to strengthen its broader initiative of documenting the region’s contributions to advancements in science and medicine.

Contact:
University Archivist & Records Manager
University of Pittsburgh Library System
7500 Thomas Blvd
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
zlb2@pitt.edu
Tel. 412-648-3148