Biography

Walter R. Lowe, MD, is a nationally recognized Houston orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine expert with more than 30 years of experience. He serves as chair and professor of orthopedic surgery at UTHealth Houston. In addition, he leads orthopedic services at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and LBJ General Hospital. He also directs the Memorial Hermann | Rockets Sports Medicine Institute, a premier orthopedic and sports injury care center in Houston, Texas.

Dr. Lowe holds board certification from the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery. He focuses on sports medicine, specializing in knee and ligament injuries. He leads the field in ACL reconstruction and advanced surgical techniques that restore strength, stability, and performance. His patient-centered care empowers athletes to recover safely and confidently return to competition.

As head team physician for the NBA’s Houston Rockets and the University of Houston Cougars, Dr. Lowe manages every aspect of athlete health and performance. For 20 years, he served in the same role for the NFL’s Houston Texans. Furthermore, he provides expert sports injury care for several Houston-area high schools, including the North Shore Mustangs, C.E. King Panthers, and Deer Park Deer. He also supports Texas A&M Athletics as team physician, helping student-athletes stay healthy and competitive throughout their seasons.

Dr. Lowe remains deeply committed to education and mentorship. He trains future orthopedic surgeons through hands-on teaching, clinical guidance, and sports medicine fellowship instruction. His leadership inspires young physicians to pursue excellence in patient care, research, and innovation within orthopedic surgery and sports medicine.

He earned a Bachelor of Science from Colorado State University and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. After completing his internship at John Peter Smith Hospital, he trained at Tarrant County-affiliated hospitals in Fort Worth, Texas. Later, he pursued a sports medicine fellowship at the renowned Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles, where he trained under the late Frank Jobe, MD, a well-known sports medicine baseball surgeon.

Dr. Lowe actively contributes to professional organizations, including the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the ACL Study Group. His dedication and leadership have earned national recognition, including the Jack C. Heighston Sports Physician Award from the American Physical Therapy Association in 2014 and the Jerry “Hawk” Rhea Award for Outstanding NFL Team Physician of the Year in 2018.
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Education

Undergraduate Degree
Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, Colorado
Medical Degree
McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, Houston, Texas
Internship
John Peter Smith Hospital, Ft. Worth, Texas
Residency
Orthopaedic Surgery Residency, Tarrant County Affiliated Hospitals, Ft. Worth, Texas
Fellowship
Orthpaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship, Kerlan Jobe Orthopaedic Sports Medicine, Inglewood, California

Areas of Interest

Clinical Interests

Knee
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Reconstruction / Revision Reconstruction
Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) Reconstruction / Revision Reconstruction
Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) Repair / Reconstruction
Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL) Repair / Reconstruction including Posterior Lateral Corner Repair / Reconstruction
Multi-Ligament Repair / Reconstructions
Osteochondral Autograft / Allograft Transplantation (OATS)
Osteochondral Microfracture
Carticel Reimplantations (ACI) (Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation)
Meniscal Injury (Meniscectomies and Meniscal Repairs)
Patellofemoral Disorders
Meniscal (Allograft) Transplants

Shoulder
SLAP Lesion Repair
Bankart Lesions Repair
Rotator Cuff Repair
Bicep Tendon Disorders (Biceps Tenodesis)
AC Joint Injuries / Reconstructions
Dislocations
Anterior and Posterior Instability Surgical Corrections

Elbow
Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) Repair / Reconstruction (Tommy John Procedure)
Ulnar Nerve Transposition
Medial and Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow)
“Little League” Elbow