Healthy Living
Lincoln Orthopaedic Center Helping Athletes Get Back in the Game By Jodi Fuson
Plagued by right knee problems since his high school days of playing football, baseball, and basketball, Dr. Douglas Tewes (pronounced “ta-vus”) can relate to the athletes he treats. “It does allow you to really understand what people are going through,” shares Dr. Tewes, who joined the practice at Lincoln Orthopaedic Center in 1993. His colleague, Dr. Matthew Reckmeyer, has performed a few surgeries on Dr. Tewes’ knee since then. The group at Lincoln Orthopaedic Center includes eight other orthopaedic specialists, one physiatrist, and has its own outpatient surgery center next door. “We’ve got great camaraderie among the staff,” Dr. Tewes says. “Everyone is interested in meeting the highest level of orthopaedic care.” Orthopaedic services cover a wide scope and include arthroscopic procedures; arthritis treatment; ankle, knee, hip, and shoulder replacement; hand and upper extremity care; spine and neck treatments; and meniscus, ligament, and rotator cuff repair. Dr. Tewes’ interest in orthopaedics was sparked when he shadowed Omaha surgeon Dr. Richard Pitner, who has been practicing for 52 years. After completing a
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residency at the University of Kentucky, Dr. Tewes completed a sports medicine fellowship in Minneapolis so he could sub-specialize in sports medicine. While there, he worked with the Minnesota Vikings, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the University of Minnesota’s football team. Dr. Tewes’ involvement with sports teams continues, as he is the team physician for Concordia University athletes in his hometown of Seward as well as the Lincoln Saltdogs. As a group, the orthopaedic specialists at Lincoln Orthopaedic Center also provide supervision to eight area high school athletic trainer programs in the area, Doane College, and Nebraska Wesleyan University. In addition to being board-certified in orthopaedic
Dr. Douglas Tewes
