Nationally renowned foot and ankle care without the wait.
For pain-free motion and peace of mind, turn to the fellowship-trained foot and ankle specialists at MedStar Orthopaedic Institute. With over 100 specialists across Baltimore, Washington, DC, and surrounding areas, our network of experts is shaping the future of musculoskeletal care.
Nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report for orthopedics, our foot and ankle team includes orthopedic surgeons, sports medicine specialists, and therapists working together to develop a treatment plan just for you.
Appointments are available within days, not weeks, at 12 convenient locations spanning Central Maryland:
Revolutionizing Foot and Ankle Care at MedStar Orthopaedic Institute
Patient stories
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Mother of seven Stacy Plimpton found relief from extreme Bunion Pain
Watch the video below
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Local teacher and stand-up paddle boarder finally free from persistent Ankle Pain
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John Kauffmans experience with telemedicine
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Experience the highest level of foot and ankle care
The expertise of our foot and ankle fellowship-trained orthopedic specialists ensures a wide array of treatment options. Our expert medical doctors diagnose and treat even the most complex conditions, ensuring the highest-quality care and the best possible results for you.
If you’ve had surgery for any of these conditions elsewhere and are not satisfied with the results, we encourage you to meet with our team. We perform a high volume of revisional foot and ankle surgeries—we can help improve your function and reduce your pain, no matter where you were treated previously.
Explore a few of the conditions we treat most frequently and the innovative treatments we offer to reduce your pain and restore mobility.
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Foot and Ankle Injuries
Sports-related, traumatic, and acute injuries can include sprains, strains, tears, twists, and even broken bones. A sprain tears the outer supportive ligaments of the ankle and can range from minor to so severe that the ligaments are torn completely, resulting in the ankle feeling loose. Click here to learn more
Achilles tendon tears are another type of injury that results in severe foot pain and instability.
If you’ve broken your foot or ankle, treatment may include:
- Splints and casts to keep your bones in the right position as they heal.
- Surgery that restores the proper alignment of the bones by using titanium screws, nails, or plates to ensure the bones heal together in proper alignment. A tibial bone graft may be taken from your knee area to help improve stability. Patients generally stay in the hospital for one or two days following this type of surgery.
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Foot and Ankle Arthritis
Treatment for ankle arthritis depends on the type of arthritis you have and its severity. Nonsurgical treatment options may include:
- Canes or braces
- Medication to ease pain and swelling symptoms
- Physical therapy
- Supportive shoe materials such as orthotics, arch supports or specially designed shoes
If nonsurgical treatment does not improve your condition, you may need surgery, such as:
- Ankle arthroscopy: In this procedure, surgeons insert an arthroscope—a thin, flexible tube—into your joints. The arthroscope uses a small camera to beam images of your joints onto a screen so your surgeons can insert specialized instruments through the arthroscope into your joints and repair any damage.
- Ankle fusion surgery: This procedure fuses two of the ankle bones to remove a problematic joint and minimize pain.
- Ankle replacement surgery (arthroplasty): This procedure replaces the damaged joint with a prosthetic.
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Other Foot and Ankle Conditions
Our orthopedic specialists treat the full range of common to complex foot and ankle conditions, including:
- Bunions, click here to learn more.
- Hammertoes and claw toes
- Neuromas, which are swollen nerves that commonly affect the ball of the foot causing pain, burning, numbness and tingling
- Bone spurs, which develop when the smooth cartilage wears down and the ends of the bone rub together
Treatment options vary and can include:
- Avoiding high-heeled shoes
- Inserting extra cushioning into your shoes
- Wearing shoes that fit well and comfortably accommodate your pain
- Physical therapy
- Surgery, including bunionectomy
- Taking over-the-counter pain relievers and/or getting cortisone shots
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Ankle Instability
Treatment for ankle instability usually depends on the severity of your ankle weakness. Nonsurgical treatment options may include:
- Medication to ease pain and swelling symptoms
- Ankle brace to prevent the ankle from giving way and to protect you from further sprains
- Physical therapy and exercises that help increase ankle strength and ease of movement
In some cases, nonsurgical treatment does not provide enough stability. Our team is experienced in the most advanced and innovative surgical procedures. In fact, we specialize in revising and repairing ineffective outcomes of surgeries performed at other institutions.
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Flat Feet
Treatment for flat feet depends on the symptoms you have, as well as the underlying cause of your condition. If you have no symptoms, you do not need treatment. If you are experiencing pain, we may recommend:
- Wearing shoes fit with orthotics or arch supports
- Taking medication, such over-the-counter pain relievers and/or cortisone shots
- Wearing a walking cast or brace
- Physical therapy
If you still experience severe pain after making these changes, we may recommend surgery such as:
- Fusing the bones together or removing a bone
- Lengthening or replacing a tendon
- Realigning the bones to a healthy position
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Nerve Disorders
Nerve disorders that can affect the feet and ankles include:
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease, an inherited disorder that causes severe weakness in the muscles that control your legs and feet. As a result, you can suffer serious foot deformities.
- Polio, a virus that affects the nerves and can cause semi-paralysis or even complete paralysis in the legs.
The multidisciplinary care required for conditions such as these can include:
- Braces
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Orthopedic surgery
Our compassionate staff will help manage all these services for you and collaborate on your care with any other specialist you need.
Meet Baltimore's foot and ankle experts
MedStar Health is home to one of Maryland’s largest fellowship-trained orthopaedic foot and ankle teams. We are on the leading-edge of research, educating future foot and ankle surgeons in the latest data-driven techniques.
Gregory Guyton, MD
Sees patients in Bel Air, Hunt Valley, and Timonium.
Walter Hembree, MD
Sees patients in Pikesville, Frederick, and at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, MedStar Harbor Hospital and MedStar Union Memorial Hospital.
Stuart Miller, MD
Sees patients in Westminster and at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital.
Jacob Wisbeck, MD
Sees patients in Annapolis, Ellicott City, Timonium, Waugh Chapel, and at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital.
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Foot and Ankle Experts
Gregory Guyton, MD
Sees patients in Bel Air, Hunt Valley, Timonium, and at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital.Walter Hembree, MD
Sees patients in Pikesville, and at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, MedStar Harbor Hospital and MedStar Union Memorial Hospital.Stuart Miller, MD
Sees patients in Westminster and at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital.Jacob Wisbeck, MD
Sees patients in Ellicott City, Timonium, Waugh Chapel, and at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital.