About

Dr. Thomas Paynter is a joint-replacement and sports medicine surgeon who specializes in a variety of advanced procedures including robotic arm-assisted partial knee, total knee, and hip replacements with emphasis on the latest rapid-recovery protocols to shorten recovery and minimize post-surgical pain. He performs a full spectrum of minimally invasive, arthroscopic knee and shoulder reconstructive procedures. He has also served as the Team Physician for the Anchorage Wolverines Hockey team, since its inception.

Dr Paynter is a Distinguished Graduate of the US Air Force Academy and completed medical School at the University of Iowa. He is an Air Force veteran who completed multiple overseas deployments, providing crucial and timely orthopedic care for US and Allied military personnel. He served as orthopedic and surgery chair at two separate Air Force Medical Centers, including Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

He is currently a flight surgeon responsible for the medical care for the Alaska Air National Guard Pararescue Jumpers ensuring comprehensive health care and human performance optimization to ensure continual rescue readiness for the State of Alaska. Before joining the OPA team, he worked as a private practice orthopedic surgeon in his hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he also served as the orthopedic chair and team physician for his high school alma mater.

When not helping athletes and active Alaskans reclaim their active lifestyles, Dr. Paynter enjoys spending time with family, trail running, hunting, fishing and live music.