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
- Angiosarcoma
- Benign Bone Tumor
- Bone Biopsy
- Bone Cancer Surgery
- Bone Cyst
- Bone Metastasis
- Bone Metastasis Treatment
- Bone Sarcoma Surgery
- Flap Surgery
- Ganglion Cyst Excision
- Mesothelioma
- Multiple Myeloma
- Resection Of Soft Tissue Tumor
- Salvage Surgery
- Spinal Spondylolysis Treatment
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Adamantinoma
- Angiosarcoma
- Benign Bone Tumor
- Bladder Carcinoma
- Bone Cancer
- Bone Cyst
- Bone Density Disorder
- Bone Discontinuity
- Bone Lesions
- Bone Metastasis
- Bone Sarcoma
- Bone Tumor
- Brown Tumor
- Femur Shaft Fracture
- Fibrosarcoma
- Liposarcoma
- Mesothelioma
- Metastatic Bone Disease
- Multiple Myeloma
- Neoplasm Of Uncertain Behavior
- Nerve Tumors
- Pathological Fracture
- Pelvic Tumor
- Skull Base Tumor
- Soft Tissue Sarcoma
- Thigh Fracture
Procedures I perform
- Amputation Revision
- Bone Biopsy
- Bone Cancer Surgery
- Bone Graft
- Bone Metastasis Treatment
- Bone Sarcoma Surgery
- Ewing's Sarcoma Treatment
- Femur Excision
- Femur Fracture Stabilization
- Flap Surgery
- Forequarter Amputation
- Ganglion Cyst Excision
- Heel Tendon Repair
- Hindquarter Amputation
- Hip Distraction
- Hip Replacement For Metastatic Bone Disease
- Intestinal Reconstruction
- Knee Amputation
- Metastatic Bone Disease Treatment
- Pelvic Tumor Resection
- Proximal Humerus Replacement
- Reconstruction For Bone Defects
- Resection Of Soft Tissue Tumor
- Salvage Surgery
- Soft Tissue Sarcoma Surgery
- Spinal Spondylolysis Treatment
- Toe Amputation
- Vertebroplasty For Vertebral Compression Fractures
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
- Aetna Basic
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- HighMark
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Blue Choice Advantage
- UHC Passport
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- OA Plus
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- CIGNA PPO
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Choice Fund PPO
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- CareFirst NASCO
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- TRICARE for Life East
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- IH-Open POS Plus
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Aetna Classic 5000
- CareFirst Administrators
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- United Student Resources
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Optimum Choice
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Beech Street PPO
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Aetna Classic 3500
- TRICARE East Select
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- United Healthcare Choice
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- IH-Indemnity
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Medicare FFS
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Network OA
- IH-EPO Plus
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- TRICARE East Prime
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Choice POS
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Choice POS II Open Access
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- IH-Open POS II
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- CIGNA EPO
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- IH-PPO
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- POS OA
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- IH-HMO
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Navigate
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Medicare Direct
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Employee Health Plan
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- First Health PPO
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- CareFirst EPO
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- IH-Open HMO
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- IH-POS
- Aetna VA Exchange
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Choice POS II
- IH-POS Plus
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Sentara Health
- Core Essential (HMO)
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- First Health PPO
Videos
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery
Fellowship: Mayo Clinic College of Medicine & Science (2021)
Fellowship: University of British Columbia GME (2020)
Residency: Massachusetts General Hospital (2019)
Medical School: Harvard Medical School (2014)