Walter R. Lowe Knee Registry Marks Two Years of Advancing Orthopedic Research

The Walter R. Lowe Knee Registry at UTHealth Houston is celebrating two years of advancing research in athletic knee care. 

Launched and led by Alfred A. Mansour III, MD, sports medicine surgeon at UTHealth Houston Orthopedics, the registry was created to establish a consistent, reliable method for collecting recovery data from patients undergoing knee surgery. The initiative brings together seven orthopedic surgeons from UTHealth Houston — Walter Lowe, MD, Steven Flores, MD, Bonnie Gregory, MD, Evan Meeks, MD, Paul Shupe, MD, Jessica Traver, MD, and Alfred Mansour, MD — along with 27 physical therapy rehabilitation specialists from Memorial Hermann’s Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Institute (RSMI and SMR), and joint research teams from both institutions. 

As of Feb. 27, 2026, the Walter R. Lowe Knee Registry has enrolled 1,428 surgical patients, representing 1,663 total procedure enrollments over its first two years. Numbers that reflect more than growth. They represent a scalable research platform that is shaping the future of orthopedic sports medicine.

A Data-Driven Approach to Knee Surgery and ACL Outcomes

The Walter R. Lowe Knee Registry combines objective functional testing with patient-reported outcome surveys. Memorial Hermann’s functional testing team collects performance-based recovery data, while patients provide direct insight into pain, overall function, and quality of life after orthopedic surgery.

As a result, orthopedic surgeons can monitor recovery in real time. Moreover, the registry builds a structured dataset that supports high-quality clinical research in knee surgery.

Among enrolled patients:

• 531 have undergone ACL reconstruction, either as an isolated procedure or combined with other surgeries.

• 91 patients have undergone osteotomies of various types.

Additionally, the registry tracks procedure types such as ACL reconstruction and osteotomy alongside recovery benchmarks. Because of this structure, researchers can evaluate surgical techniques, rehabilitation timelines, and long-term functional outcomes.

Just as important, the registry helps clinicians identify patients who are not progressing as expected after knee surgery. Early identification supports timely intervention and personalized treatment adjustments.

“The strength of this registry is that it impacts the patient sitting in front of us, while also shaping how we treat patients five and 10 years from now,” said Steven E. Flores, MD, sports medicine orthopedic surgeon at UTHealth Houston. “The data helps us make more informed decisions in real time, and over the long term, it will guide refinements in surgical techniques, rehabilitation strategies, and overall standards of care.”

As the dataset continues to expand, aggregated findings will support hypothesis-driven research aimed at influencing orthopedic surgery techniques and rehabilitation protocols nationwide.

A Strong Academic-Clinical Partnership in Orthopedics

The Walter R. Lowe Knee Registry reflects a close collaboration between UTHealth Houston Orthopedics and Memorial Hermann. Orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists, and research teams work together under a shared commitment to measurable excellence in patient care.

“The Walt Lowe Knee Registry represents an incredible collaboration between our UTHealth Houston academic sports surgeons and Memorial Hermann RSMI and SMR, committed toward leading the care of athletic knee patients across the Greater Houston area and beyond,” said Alfred A. Mansour III, MD.

“The early success of the Walt Lowe Knee Registry collaboration represents what many of us hope to see in a program — teamwork, shared vision and commitment, data-driven navigation toward unmatched patient care and meaningful practice-changing research. The continued success of this program honors the early work of renowned knee surgeon Walt Lowe, MD, and continues his legacy leading athletic knee care in Houston and beyond.”

Tim Couture, vice president of operations for the Orthopedic Service Line – Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation at Memorial Hermann, emphasized the registry’s growing impact on clinical care and orthopedic research.

“The Walt Lowe Knee Registry has had a transformative clinical impact, directly informing decision-making and elevating patient care through comprehensive, outcome-driven data,” Couture said. “It fuels meaningful research contributions while uniting therapists, surgeons, and every discipline in between, around a shared commitment to measurable excellence. As the registry continues to grow, the expanding depth and quality of our data will strengthen our ability to refine care pathways, improve clinical and patient-reported outcomes, and solidify our position as a national leader in evidence-based orthopedic decision-making.”

Honoring a Legacy While Shaping the Future of Orthopedic Surgery

The registry is named in honor of Walt Lowe, MD, whose pioneering work helped define modern athletic knee care in Houston and across the nation.

During remarks at the two-year celebration, Dr. Lowe spoke about the immense responsibility of having a program named after him. He described the recognition as humbling and expressed pride in the multidisciplinary team behind the registry. He also shared his excitement for the future, when the data being collected today will be referenced, studied, and quoted to guide orthopedic best practices.

As the Walter R. Lowe Knee Registry enters its third year, its impact continues to expand. With more than 1,600 procedure enrollments and a growing network of orthopedic surgeons and rehabilitation specialists, the registry is advancing evidence-based orthopedic research and strengthening athletic knee care. Its mission remains clear: use structured data collection, interdisciplinary collaboration, and outcomes-driven research to improve patient outcomes, guide innovation, and help define the next era of orthopedic sports medicine at UTHealth Houston and Memorial Hermann.

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