Coen A. Wijdicks

About

Coen A. Wijdicks is a prominent orthopaedic biomechanics researcher whose work has fundamentally advanced the understanding of knee ligament function, injury, and surgical reconstruction. His research centers on the biomechanics of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), and meniscal pathology, with a particular focus on optimizing surgical techniques to restore native joint kinematics. Wijdicks made landmark contributions through his two-part kinematic analyses of the PCL (2013), which together have garnered over 340 citations, clarifying the distinct roles of the anterolateral and posteromedial bundles across the full range of knee flexion. His complementary investigations into optimal graft fixation angles for PCL reconstruction provided surgeons with critical technical guidance previously absent from the literature. His biomechanical comparison of single- and double-bundle ACL reconstructions (102 citations) similarly informed ongoing surgical debates. More recently, his work on lateral meniscal oblique radial tears in ACL-deficient and reconstructed knees has shed light on an underappreciated but clinically significant injury pattern. Wijdicks also contributed methodologically by validating robotic testing systems for both knee and hip biomechanical research, strengthening the reliability of in vitro orthopaedic science. His cumulative body of work reflects a career dedicated to translating biomechanical insight directly into improved surgical outcomes.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Kinematic Analysis of the Posterior Cruciate Ligament, Part 1

   185 citations · 2013
2. 2
   Kinematic Analysis of the Posterior Cruciate Ligament, Part 2

   156 citations · 2013
3. 3
   Posterior Cruciate Ligament Graft Fixation Angles, Part 2

   107 citations · 2014
4. 4
   Biomechanical Comparison of Anatomic Single- and Double-Bundle Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstructions

   102 citations · 2013
5. 5
   Superficial Medial Collateral Ligament Anatomic Augmented Repair Versus Anatomic Reconstruction

   97 citations · 2013
6. 6
   Posterior Cruciate Ligament Graft Fixation Angles, Part 1

   76 citations · 2014
7. 7
   Kinematic Analysis of Lateral Meniscal Oblique Radial Tears in the Anterior Cruciate Ligament–Deficient Knee

   31 citations · 2021
8. 8
   Kinematic Analysis of Lateral Meniscal Oblique Radial Tears in Anterior Cruciate Ligament–Reconstructed Knees: Untreated Versus Repair Versus Partial Meniscectomy

   29 citations · 2022
9. 9
   Characterization of robotic system passive path repeatability during specimen removal and reinstallation for <i>in vitro</i> knee joint testing

   25 citations · 2014
10. 10
    Validation of a six degree-of-freedom robotic system for hip in vitro biomechanical testing

    18 citations · 2015

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links