About me
S. Mohammed Karim, MD is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon who is dual fellowship trained in spine surgery and orthopaedic oncology—one of only a handful of surgeons nationwide with such training and experience. At MedStar Health, he specializes in the surgical treatment of patients with bone and soft tissue tumors / cancers. He sees patients at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center and MedStar Union Memorial Hospital.
As a comprehensive musculoskeletal and spinal oncology surgeon, Dr. Karim enjoys helping those with both primary tumors (such as sarcomas) and metastatic tumors throughout the entire body including the spine, sacrum, pelvis, and extremities. He performs surgery for tumors causing spinal cord compression; spinal fractures/instability from tumors; pathologic or impending fractures in the arms, legs, and pelvis; and malignant bone and soft tissue tumors in all parts of the body. Dr. Karim believes firmly that cancer care is a “team sport” and works closely with medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, plastic surgeons, and other surgical subspecialists of MedStar Health to provide the best treatment possible to each patient. In addition to cancer patients, he surgically treats those with degenerative spine conditions (such as spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, cervical myelopathy, and bulging discs), spinal trauma, spinal cord injuries, and spinal infections.
In addition to caring for patients, Dr. Karim conducts clinical research to improve the outcomes of patients with musculoskeletal and spinal tumors. His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences. Dr. Karim is a member of the AOSpine Knowledge Forum Tumor – an international group of surgeons and other cancer specialists who perform research to improve the care of patients with spinal tumors. He is also a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the North American Spine Society, for which he holds Committee Appointments in Spine Oncology, Robotics and Enabling Technology, and Resident and Fellow Education. He has a keen interest in education and enjoys teaching and mentoring medical students, residents, and fellows both in and out of the operating room. Beyond his medical career, Dr. Karim is a proud member of the Civil Air Patrol.
Clinical areas of focus
- Bone Cancer Surgery
- Bone Sarcoma
- Brown Tumor
- Ewings Sarcoma
- Metastatic Bone Disease
- Pathological Fracture
- Skeletal Metastasis
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Abnormal Vertebrae
- Adamantinoma
- Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma
- Aneurysmal Bone Cyst
- Aneurysmal Bone Cyst (HIP)
- Aneurysmal Bone Cyst (KNEE)
- Angiosarcoma
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Benign Neoplasm Bone
- Bone Cyst
- Bone Defect
- Bone Mass
- Bone Sarcoma
- Bone Tumor
- Broken Internal Joint Prosthesis
- Brown Tumor
- Bulging Disc
- Cauda Equina Syndrome
- Cervical Bone Spur
- Cervical Compression Fracture
- Cervical Deformity
- Cervical Disc Degeneration
- Cervical Disc Disease
- Cervical Disc Displacement
- Cervical Herniated Disc
- Cervical Radiculopathy
- Cervical Spinal Stenosis
- Cervical Spine Fracture
- Chondroblastoma
- Chondroma
- Chondromyxoid Fibroma
- Chondrosarcoma
- Chordoma
- Complex Spine Deformities
- Compression Fracture
- Congenital Scoliosis
- Degenerative Spine Conditions
- Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans
- Desmoid Tumors
- Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma
- Epithelioid Rhabdomyosarcoma
- Ewings Sarcoma
- Extraskeletal Ewing Sarcoma
- Extraskeletal Osteosarcoma
- Failed Back Surgery Syndrome
- Fibrosarcoma
- Fibrous Cortical Defect
- Fibrous Dysplasia
- Flatback Syndrome
- Flatback Syndrome Post Harrington Rods
- Foot Mass
- Giant Cell Tumor Of The Bone
- Hand Mass
- Hemangiosarcoma
- Herniated Disc
- Histiocytosis Of Bone
- Impending Pathologic Fracture
- Intraspinal Abscess
- Junctional Kyphosis
- Kyphosis
- Leiomyosarcoma
- Lipomas
- Lipomatous Hemangiopericytoma
- Liposarcoma
- Lower Back Injury
- Lower Back Pain
- Lumbar Scoliosis
- Lumbar Spine Stress Fracture
- Lumbosacral Plexus Lesions
- Lumbosacral Radiculopathy
- Lymphangiosarcoma
- Lymphoma Of Bone
- Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma (MFH)
- Malignant Lymphomas Of Bone
- Malignant Schwannoma
- Malignant Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumor
- Mass On Trunk
- Melanoma
- Metastatic Bone Disease
- Metastatic Rib Cancer
- Multiple Enchondromatosis
- Multiple Myeloma
- Musculoskeletal Tumor
- Myelopathy
- Myxofibrosarcoma
- Myxoid Liposarcoma
- Myxoinflammatory Fibroblastic Sarcoma
- Myxoma
- Non Ossifying Fibroma
- Osteoblastoma
- Osteochondroma
- Osteoid Osteoma
- Osteosarcoma
- Pathological Fracture
- Pediatric Cancer
- Periosteal Chondroma
- Peripheral Schwannoma
- Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis
- Plexiform Schwannoma
- Popliteal Cyst
- Post Laminectomy Kyphosis
- Post Laminectomy Syndrome
- Radiculopathy
- Retroperitoneal Liposarcoma
- Rhabdomyosarcoma
- Ruptured Intervertebral Disc
- Sarcoma
- Sarcoma Of The Chest Wall
- Sarcoma Of The Extremities
- Scheuermann's Disease
- Schwannomatosis
- Sciatica
- Scoliosis
- Skeletal Metastasis
- Spinal Abscess
- Spinal Cord Compression
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Spinal Stenosis
- Spine Deformity
- Spine Fracture
- Spine Mets
- Spondylolisthesis
- Spondylosis
- Spondylosis With Myelopathy
- Subchondral Bone Cyst Sbc Hip
- Synovial Chondromatosis
- Synovial Sarcoma
- Thoracic Herniated Disc
Procedures I perform
- Biopsy Of Mass
- Bone Allograft
- Bone Autograft
- Bone Cancer Surgery
- Bone Cyst Aspiration And Injection
- Bone Resection And Reconstruction
- Chest Wall Resection
- Cryoablation
- Curettage Of Bone Lesions
- Excision Of Bone Cyst
- Excision Of Lesion
- Excision Of Tumor
- Excisional Biopsy
- Limb Salvage
- Osteoplasty
- Skeletal Reconstruction
Insurance
MedStar Health accepts most major health insurance plans. If you are uncertain as to whether your individual health insurance plan is accepted at MedStar Health, please call your insurance company.
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List of insurance plans we accept
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- HealthyBlue PPO
- United Student Resources
- Kaiser Permanente Signature-Added Choice
- Kaiser Signature
- Carefirst Blue Preferred PPO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna Open HMO/Open HMO Option/Open EPO Plus
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- HumanaChoice PPO
- United Nursing Home Plan (C-SNP
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- United Select Plus (POS)
- United MD IPA (HMO)
- Cigna POS Open Access & Open Access Plus
- Kaiser Medicare Plus
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Federal Employee Program (Std/Basic PPO/Blue Focus)
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs (HSCSN)
- Innovation Health: POS
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- HumanaChoice Honor’s plan PPO
- Carefirst BlueChoice HMO
- United MD IPA Preferred (POS)
- Kaiser Flexible Choice
- Kaiser HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Carefirst Healthy Blue (HMO/POS)
- CareFirst NASCO
- Innovation Health: Open POS II
- United Choice
- United Golden Rule
- United Options (PPO) (includes Empire PPO)
- Cigna Preferred Medicare
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Carefirst EPO
- Kaiser Select
- Cigna POS/Network POS
- Kaiser Select-Added Choice
- United GEHA (for all other states) Compass Rose
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA
- Kaiser Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- I-SNP
- United Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO) |
- United Erickson Advantage Plans
- United Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- D-SNP)
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network (VA CCN)
- Carefirst BlueChoice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Cigna Indemnity
- Maryland Point of Service Plan (MPOS)
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- United Choice Plus
- United Core Essential (HMO)
- First Health PPO
- Medicaid - Virginia
- CareFirst BC/BS Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Aetna HMO
- Cigna EPO
- Aetna Choice POS & Choice POS II
- United Mamsi Life & Health
- Innovation Health: PPO
- Aetna Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- CareFirst Administrators
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- United Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- United AARP Medicare Complete
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Innovation Health: POS Plus
- Tricare East Select
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Carefirst BlueChoice Opt Out Open Access
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- United Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) & OCI Direct (HMO)
- Cigna HMO & Network (HMO)
- Medicaid - District of Columbia
- Beech Street PPO
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- CareFirst Blue Card Program (Out-of-area BCBS plans)
- Innovation Health: HMO & EPO Plus
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan (USFHP)
- Cigna HMO Open Access
- United Optimum Choice
- Traditional Medicare Fee for Service
- Virginia Premier
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Private Health Care Systems (PHCS) (PPO)
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Carefirst BlueChoice Open Access
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- United Navigate
- Innovation Health: Open POS Plus
- Innovation Health: Network Only Plus
- Aetna HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Cigna PPO and PPO Plus
- Tricare East Prime
- Innovation Health: Indemnity
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Employee Health Plan (EHP)
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- WellPoint Maryland
- Cigna Network Open Access
- United Group Medicare Advantage Plans
- Innovation Health: Open Network Only Plus
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Tricare for Life East
- Medicaid - Maryland
- Cigna Choice Fund PPO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery
Fellowship: Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science (2021)
Fellowship: University of British Columbia (2020)
Residency: Massachusetts General Hospital (2019)
Medical School: Harvard Medical School (2014)