C. Lowry Barnes, M.D. Orthopaedic Surgeon

Clinical Biography

C. Lowry Barnes, M.D., is a fellowship-trained, board-certified orthopaedic surgeon specializing in joint reconstruction and replacement surgery of the hip and knee. From partial knee replacement and same-day hip and knee replacement surgery to complex revision surgeries, Dr. Barnes offers innovative and evidence-based treatment options to restore mobility and relieve pain.

Dr. Barnes joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in 2014 as Professor and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. In 2017, he was invested in the Carl L. Nelson, M.D. Distinguished Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery.  He also serves as the Director of the Musculoskeletal Service Line at UAMS Health.

After graduating with honors from the UAMS College of Medicine, Dr. Barnes remained at UAMS for his internship and residency in orthopaedic surgery. He completed an Adult Reconstructive Surgery and Arthritis Surgery Fellowship at Brigham & Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School in Boston, Mass. He was then selected to participate in the prestigious John N. Insall Traveling Fellowship as well as an AO/ASIF (Association for the Study of Internal Fixation) Adult Orthopaedic Fellowship at Inselspital in Bern, Switzerland. Dr. Barnes went into practice as a joint replacement surgeon at Arkansas Specialty Orthopaedics, later becoming the President and Managing Partner for more than 10 years.

Widely recognized as one of the foremost joint replacement experts in the world, Dr. Barnes has made substantial contributions to research focused on the hip and knee, having published more than 350 peer-reviewed articles. He lectures nationally and internationally on total joint replacement surgery and holds 7 patents for orthopaedic surgery devices and implants. He established HipKnee Arkansas Foundation, a non-profit research foundation and motion detection laboratory to further study patients with arthritis.

As a national and international thought leader in hip and knee replacement, Dr. Barnes has held numerous leadership roles in professional societies, including recently serving as the President of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS). He has also served as President of the Society for Arthritic Joint Surgery, the Mid-America Orthopaedic Association, the Southern Orthopaedic Association, and the Arkansas Orthopaedic Society.

He is also actively involved in the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, (AAOS) Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Association, and the International Society for Technology in Arthroplasty. He is also a member of The Knee Society and The Hip Society, academic by-invitation-only organizations consisting of approximately 200 members each who are internationally recognized thought-leaders, innovators, mentors, researchers, and educators.

Dr. Barnes also serves on the editorial boards of many scientific journals, including the Journal of Arthroplasty (since 2003), Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research (since 2007), Journal of Southern Orthopaedics (since 2002), and the Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances. He is also a peer reviewer for Orthopaedic Knowledge Online Journal.

In addition, Dr. Barnes is known nationally for his expertise in healthcare quality and efficiency, and gives invited lectures on value-based orthopaedic care and alternative payment models throughout the country. Dr. Barnes has consistently been named in “Top Doctors,” “Best Doctors,” “Top Doctors in Orthopaedics,” and as one of the top orthopaedic and lower extremity surgeons in Arkansas.