Joseph Leigh Ferguson, MD| Spine Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery | MedStar Health
About me
Joseph L. Ferguson, MD, is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon who is affiliated with MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Dr. Ferguson specializes in state-of-the-art, minimally invasive and motion preservation techniques to treat conditions of the bones, discs, and nerves of the neck and back.
With advanced expertise in minimally invasive spine surgery, Dr. Ferguson performs a wide range of procedures in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine designed to relieve pain, restore mobility, and help patients return to an active lifestyle. His surgical expertise includes transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF), anterior lumbar fusion (ALIF), extreme lateral interbody fusion (XLIF), and lumbar fusion techniques tailored to each patient’s unique condition.
He also specializes in surgical disc replacement, anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), posterior cervical laminoplasty, and lumbar laminectomy, offering both traditional and motion-preserving approaches depending on the clinical needs of each case. Dr. Ferguson frequently treats patients with complex degenerative spine disorders and employs innovative strategies to manage spinal instability, deformity, and nerve compression.
In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Ferguson is committed to advancing the field of degenerative spine surgery through research, education, and the integration of the latest technologies. His expertise in thoracic fusion and minimally invasive techniques allows him to achieve optimal outcomes with reduced recovery times and improved patient satisfaction.
Philosophy of care
Dr. Ferguson believes each patient is unique and requires an individualized, focused, and thorough approach to address the diagnosis. He approaches each patient-physician relationship as a partnership, with the best outcomes resulting from a collaborative effort. His goal is to help patients and their families understand their conditions and to educate them on all possible options, in order to restore function and relieve pain for a return to an active lifestyle.
He specializes in:
- Cervical (neck), thoracic (mid-back) and lumbar (lower-back) pathologies
- Minimally invasive techniques
- Lumbar stenosis
- Lumbar degenerative spine disorders
- Cervical Stenosis
- Cervical herniated disks
- Neck and/or arm pain or weakness
- Leg pain and weakness
- Cervical radiculopathy and myelopathy
- Scoliosis (adult)
Clinical areas of focus
- Cervical Myelopathy Surgery
- Lumbar Disc Disease
- Lumbar Laminectomy And Fusion
- Scoliosis
- Scoliosis Deformity Correction
- Spinal Disc Replacement
- Spinal Fusion
- Spinal Reconstruction Surgery
- Spinal Spondylolysis Treatment
- Spinal Stenosis
- Vertebral Compression Fracture Treatment
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Abdomen, Lower Back, Pelvis, And Genital Injury
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Benign Neoplasm Of Bone And Articular Cartilage
- Biomechanical Lesions
- Bone Density Disorder
- Bone Discontinuity
- Bone Disorders
- Bone Disorders In Diseases
- Bursopathy
- Cauda Equina Syndrome
- Cervical Radiculopathy
- Cervical Spine Instability
- Chest Injury
- Coccydynia
- Complications Of Cardiac And Vascular Prosthetic Devices
- Congenital Malformations Of Spine And Bony Thorax
- Congenital Musculoskeletal Deformities
- Deforming Dorsopathies
- Dorsalgia
- Dorsopathies
- Fractures Of The Neck
- Head Injury
- Inflammatory Spondylopathies
- Intervertebral Disc Disorders
- Intraspinal Granuloma
- Joint Disorder
- Kyphosis
- Limb Deformity
- Lordosis
- Lower Leg And Ankle Fracture
- Lower Leg Injury
- Lumbar Disc Disease
- Lumbar Radiculopathy
- Lumbar Spine Fracture
- Meningitis
- Mononeuropathy Of Lower Limb
- Muscle Disorders
- Musculoskeletal System Complications
- Neck Nerve And Spinal Cord Injury
- Neck Sprain
- Neoplasm Of Uncertain Behavior
- Nervous And Musculoskeletal Symptoms
- Nervous System Disorders
- Paralytic Syndrome
- Presence Of Functional Implants
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Rib And Sternum Fracture
- Sacral Spine Fracture
- Sacral Spine Herniation
- Scoliosis
- Shoulder Burns
- Skull Base Tumor
- Spinal Cord Compression
- Spinal Cord Diseases
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Spinal Disc Herniation
- Spinal Infection
- Spinal Osteochondrosis
- Spinal Stenosis
- Spine Deformity
- Spondylolisthesis
- Spondylopathies
- Spondylosis
- Thigh Fracture
- Thoracic Spine Herniation
- Thoracic Spine Instability
- Thumb Synovitis
Procedures I perform
- Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF)
- Bulging Disc Treatment
- Cauda Equina Syndrome Treatment
- Cervical Epidural Steroid Injection
- Cervical Facet Joint Denervation
- Cervical Myelopathy Surgery
- Cervical Vertebra Reposition
- Degenerative Spine Surgery
- Discectomy
- Endoscopic Spine Surgery
- Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion
- Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion (XLIF)
- Fibula Osteotomy
- Flap Surgery
- Ganglion Cyst Excision
- Kyphoplasty
- Laminectomy
- Laminotomy
- Lumbar Fusion
- Lumbar Laminectomy
- Lumbar Laminectomy And Fusion
- Median Nerve Decompression
- Microdiscectomy
- Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
- Osteotomy
- Percutaneous Discectomy
- Percutaneous Kyphoplasty
- Posterior Cervical Laminectomy
- Robotic Assisted Spine Surgery
- Scoliosis Deformity Correction
- Spinal Arteriovenous Malformation Treatment
- Spinal Deformity Correction In Adolescents
- Spinal Deformity Correction With Intraoperative Ct
- Spinal Disc Replacement
- Spinal Dural Fistula Treatment
- Spinal Facet Joint Pain Treatment
- Spinal Fusion
- Spinal Hematoma Treatment
- Spinal Infection Treatment
- Spinal Injury Treatment
- Spinal Reconstruction Surgery
- Spinal Spondylolysis Treatment
- Spondylolysis Treatment
- Thoracic Fusion
- Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF)
- Vertebral Compression Fracture Treatment
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 Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Aetna Classic 3500
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Choice Fund PPO
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- IH-HMO
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- First Health PPO
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- CareFirst EPO
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Choice POS
- TRICARE East Select
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Beech Street PPO
- IH-Open HMO
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- IH-PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Medicare Direct
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Sentara Health
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Choice POS II
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- IH-EPO Plus
- TRICARE East Prime
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- HighMark
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- United Healthcare Choice
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- First Health PPO
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- OA Plus
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- UHC Passport
- Network OA
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna Basic
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Aetna HMO
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- CIGNA EPO
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- BlueChoice Open Access
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Medicare FFS
- Navigate
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- HumanaChoice PPO
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- CareFirst Administrators
- CIGNA PPO
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Police and Fire Clinic
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- IH-Indemnity
- IH-Network Only Plus
- IH-Open POS II
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Aetna VA Exchange
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- TRICARE for Life East
- IH-Open HMO Option
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Choice POS II Open Access
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- IH-POS Plus
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Optimum Choice
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Core Essential (HMO)
- CareFirst NASCO
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- IH-POS
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- POS OA
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- United Student Resources
- Employee Health Plan
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
Videos
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Orthpedic Surgery
Fellowship: Rush University Medical Center (2019)
Fellowship: Atrium Health Union West (2019)
Residency: Medstar Health (2018)
Residency: MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (2018)
Medical School: Jefferson Medical College (2013)
Graduate: Drexel University (2007)
Hospital affiliations
News and publications
- Basques, BA, Ferguson JF, Kunze KN, Phillips, FP. Lumbar Spinal Fusion in the Outpatient Setting: An Update on Management, Surgical Approaches and Planning. Journal of Spine Surgery (accepted, pending publication).
- Louie PK, Haws BE, Khan JM, Markowitz J, Movassaghi K, Ferguson J, Lopez GD, An HS, Phillips FM. Comparison of Stand-alone Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion versus Open Laminectomy and Posterolateral Instrumented Fusion in the Treatment of Adjacent Segment Disease following Previous Lumbar Fusion Surgery. Spine. Aug 12, 2019 (ePub ahead of print).
- Ferguson J, Mariorenzi M, Kalantar SB. Anterior cervical decompression and fusion for a single-level disc herniation. Seminars in Spine Surgery. 2014; 26(3): 154-9.
- Ferguson J, Hwang S, Tataryn Z, Samdani A. Neuromonitoring changes in pediatric spinal deformity surgery: a single-institution experience. Journal of Neurosurgery Pediatrics. 2014; 13(3): 247-54.
- Radcliff K, Ferguson JL, Reis-Rodrigues LM, Gruskay J, Levine AM, Albert T, Vaccaro AR. Chapter 24: Traumatic Spondylolisthesis of the Axis (Hangman's Fracture) in Spine Trauma, 2nd edition. Eds: Zigler JE, Eismont FJ, Garfin SR, Vaccaro AR, from American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 2011.
- Samdani AF, Cahill PJ, Hwang SW, King J, Edwards A, Fine A, Ferguson J, Betz RR: Larger curve magnitude is associated with markedly increased perioperative complications after scoliosis surgery in patients with spinal cord injury. 18th International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques (podium), Copenhagen, Denmark, July 13-16, 2011.
- Zlotolow DA, Ferguson JL, Knutsen E, Kozin SH. The Natural History of Shoulder Function in Patients with Brachial Plexus Birth Palsy. NARAKAS meeting, May 19-22, 2011, Lisbon, Portugal.
- Ferguson JL, Zlotolow DA, Kozin SH. Timing of Recovery of Shoulder Function in Patients with Brachial Plexus Birth Palsy.
- Poster, AOA Research Symposium, Thomas Jefferson University, March 2nd, 2012
- E-Poster, Annual Meeting of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, September 6-8, 2012, Chicago, IL.
- Ferguson JL, Hwang SW, Stanton P, Fine A, Samdani AF. Neuromonitoring Changes in Pediatric Spinal Deformity Surgery: Single Institution Experience. New England Neurosurgical Society annual meeting, June 21-23, 2012.