North Scott’s new 4A state championship is sweet success for fans, especially for its team physician, Dr. Matthew Lindaman, ORA Orthopedics, who not only attended North Scott, but also met his wife there and are together raising their family to be Lancer-proud.



Let’s Move Quad Cities caught up with  Dr. Matthew Lindaman, for its What Moves Me feature to learn more about and his passion for Lancer athletics.

Meet ORA Orthopedics Surgeon: Dr. Matthew Lindaman

Team Physician:  North Scott Lancers

Hometown: Eldridge, IA

Years in Practice: 15

Specialty: Orthopedic surgery, general with focus on total joint replacement, sports and trauma.

We understand Lancer pride runs pretty deep in your family. Tell us about it.

I graduated from North Scott High School after attending most of grade school there as well. I also met my wife at North Scott, which is obviously a major accomplishment.

I participated in sports and many other activities, and my father was an administrator during my time in Eldridge. North Scott was kind enough to recognize me a few years ago and placed me in the Academic Hall of Excellence.

I felt that was a bit of a stretch but it is probably based more on my post high school days than those while I was there! Our three oldest kids have gone through North Scott High School and my youngest son, Will, who is only 3, will be a Lancer as well. My son, Jack, attended Alan Shepard, and we have always been greatly appreciative of the support we have gotten from the community.

As the Lancers just took the 4A state title, how do you feel about your team’s success this year?

It is definitely an exciting time for the Lancers with the success the basketball team has had this year. I am always impressed with the athletes that I see performing at the high school level, as I have attended any number of different sorts of sporting events over the years.

My daughter participated in softball and volleyball. My oldest daughter competed on the dance team, and my son, Nick, has participated in football, basketball, and golf. The coaching staff could not be better.

The football staff, which I work very closely with, is so supportive of the kids and is fully invested into providing a supportive environment. The level of play over the years has definitely improved and a lot of that goes to the support of the community and the outstanding coaches that we have.

What do you like about covering high school sports?

High school sports are probably the most accessible for all of the sporting events that we can appreciate on a local level. High school sports let you see kids with such a high level of intensity and passion for not only their own play, but with school spirit. I love being around the sports teams and coaching staffs with their energy and enthusiasm.

What is your position on kids overtraining for sports year around? Or what should parents keep in mind to prevent injuries?

I think 10 years ago, there was a great deal more overtraining for the athletes. Recently there has been a lot more literature and science behind overtraining regarding baseball pitchers.  High school girl’s sports also have especially garnered a great deal of positive attention.

I think for a while, we were pushing the kids too hard at a young age — not realizing that it could have such a serious negative effect on their careers. The area’s strength training and sports coaches have certainly gotten completely on board with this and are now quite aware of the damaging effects overtraining can have of athletes of all shapes and sizes.

In addition to that, I think parents are more aware with media coverage, etc., of the problems that can be associated with overtraining and over participating.

I love to see kids that do either multiple sports or take some time off to recover after a long season or strenuous workout regimen. We always need to realize that these are just developing athletes, and we cannot hold them to the same standards as one would of a collegiate or professional athlete.

When you are not cheering for the Lancers, how do you spend your free time?

My free time is spent with the family. I enjoy outdoor activities of all sports especially golf, fishing, camping, and cookouts.

What inspired you to become an orthopedic surgeon?

I sort of backed into orthopedic surgery, as I felt destined to become a family practice physician or an emergency room physician.

During medical school, I really focused a lot of my attention on the emergency room and found myself most interested in those injuries that involved orthopedic conditions, fractures, major traumas, etc. Working with some orthopedic surgeons during that time, I gained a keen interest in those sorts of problems and essentially caught the bug to practice.

I really love all aspects of orthopedic surgery and cannot imagine at this point doing anything else.

What do you like best about practicing medicine?

What I like best about practicing medicine is helping people with a difficult problem, finding answers, and developing treatment programs that fit the patient. The complicated procedures we perform on a regular basis certainly allow patients to get back to a high level of activity with much lower risk than used to be associated with these things.

Medicine, anesthesia, and surgery have come together to allow for amazing treatments to be performed on a regular basis even here locally. I enjoy the one-on-one nature of my practice where we are dealing with one patient, one problem, and hopefully one solution that gets them back to their ability to enjoy life again.

What inspires you most about your patients?

My patients inspire me on a regular basis with their enthusiasm for recovery and their diligence with the difficulties of recovering from injuries or surgery. I love to hear about their recovery, their return to function, and the improvements in their quality of life that we provide patients on a regular basis.

When I see a patient who has been seriously injured or suffering from a disabling arthritic condition, recover to full activity, it is overwhelming at times the feeling that you can have for how you can help that condition get better. Being a part of that patient’s life, even if it is just for a very short period of time, really makes us proud here at ORA.