About me
Dr. Ali Rahnama, DPM, is a board certified, fellowship-trained foot and ankle surgeon affiliated with MedStar Washington Hospital Center and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, and is an Assistant Professor at the Georgetown University School of Medicine.
Dr. Rahnama sees patients for all conditions of the foot and ankle, with a special focus on reconstructive surgery as well as minimally invasive and arthroscopic surgery for the treatment of athletic injuries, which include ligamentous and tendon injuries as well as fractures of the ankle, talus, calcaneus, and Lisfranc joint. Dr. Rahnama also treats and specializes in diabetic Charcot reconstruction of the lower extremity.
Dr. Rahnama is board certified in Foot and Reconstructive Rearfoot and Ankle Surgery by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery.
Dr. Rahnama’s clinical interests include sports-related injuries, fracture management, Charcot reconstruction, bunion and hammertoe correction, and first metatarsal phalangeal joint arthritis. His research interests include elective surgery in the diabetic population and exploring minimally invasive techniques for hallux valgus (bunion) surgery. He is dedicated to utilizing techniques that allow patients to get back on their feet as soon as possible without compromising care.
Dr. Rahnama completed his medical degree at Temple University in Philadelphia before completing a three-year surgical residency in foot and ankle surgery at the Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center and the Children’s Hospital of Michigan. He then completed a one-year specialty fellowship in traumatic and reconstructive foot and ankle surgery with The Southeast Permanente Medical Group, Inc. in Atlanta, where he performed more than 1,000 surgical procedures.
Dr. Rahnama is the author of several book chapters and peer review research articles and regularly lectures at national conferences in foot and ankle surgery and is committed to research as well as teaching residents, fellows and peers with the goal of advancing the field of foot and ankle surgery.
Dr. Rahnama lives locally with his wife, who is undergoing her medical training in Washington, DC. They enjoy outdoor activities as well as trying new and different foods when they can.
Philosophy of Care
“Individualized treatment plans and patient-focused treatment are what provide the best results for patients, as each case is unique to that person and their body. A patient who is educated on their condition is best prepared to make informed decisions together with their doctor, allowing them to put together a plan of action that’s best suited for them. Despite the comprehensive nature of my surgical training, I’m an advocate for conservative treatment options if and when they’re appropriate. I don’t only operate because I’m a surgeon. I do what’s best for the patient. If something can be managed and treated conservatively without surgery, that’s what I’ll try every single time.”
Clinical areas of focus
- Achilles Tendon Rupture Treatment
- Ankle Arthroscopy
- Ankle Fracture Treatment
- Ankle Ligament Repair
- Clubfoot Correction
- Non-Healing Wound Treatment
- Osteomyelitis Treatment
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Achilles Tendon Pain
- Acquired Finger Deformity
- Ankle Abrasion
- Ankle And Foot Burn
- Ankle And Foot Fracture
- Ankle And Foot Ganglion Cysts
- Ankle And Foot Injury
- Ankle And Foot Ligament Sprain
- Ankle Arthropathy
- Ankle Bursitis
- Ankle Callus
- Ankle Chondromalacia
- Ankle Impingement
- Ankle Instability
- Ankle Joint Dislocation
- Ankle Nerve Damage
- Ankle Osteochondritis Dissecans
- Ankle Osteonecrosis
- Ankle Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
- Ankle Tendon Rupture
- Ankle Varus Deformity
- Ankle, Foot, And Toe Dislocations
- Arthritis
- Arthropathy
- Bone Density Disorder
- Bone Discontinuity
- Bone Spur
- Bone Tumor
- Bunionettes
- Bunions
- Bursopathy
- Calcaneal Spur
- Cartilage Damage In The Ankle
- Cartilage Disorder Of The Ankle
- Clubfoot
- Complications Of Cardiac And Vascular Prosthetic Devices
- Congenital Deformities Of Feet
- Congenital Foot Deformity
- Congenital Malformations Of Limb
- Congenital Musculoskeletal Deformities
- Congenital Vertical Talus
- Diabetic Foot Ulcer
- Diabetic Neuropathy
- Drop Foot
- Enthesopathy Of Lower Limb
- Enthesopathy Of The Achilles Tendon
- Enthesopathy Of The Ankle Ligaments
- Flexible Flat Feet
- Flexor Tendon Rupture
- Flexor Tendonitis
- Foot And Ankle Birth Defects
- Foot And Ankle Burn Reconstruction
- Foot And Ankle Osteoarthritis
- Foot And Ankle Trauma
- Foot Cyst
- Foot Joint Pain
- Foot Nerve Damage
- Foot Osteoarthritis
- Foot Problems
- Foot Tendonitis
- Ganglion Cysts
- Hammertoes
- Heel Callus Formation
- Heel Fat Pad Atrophy
- Heel Fracture
- High Arches
- Ingrown Toenail
- Joint Derangement
- Joint Disorder
- Jones Fracture
- Kohler Disease
- Lateral Meniscus Injury
- Limb Deformity
- Lisfranc Injury
- Lower Leg And Ankle Fracture
- Lower Leg Fracture
- Lower Leg Injury
- Mononeuropathy Of Lower Limb
- Morton's Neuroma
- Orthopedic Aftercare
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteochondropathies
- Osteochondropathy Of The Ankle
- Osteonecrosis
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Presence Of Functional Implants
- Sesamoiditis
- Sever's Disease (HEEL PAIN)
- Stress Fracture
- Syndactyly
- Synovium And Tendon Disorder
- Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
- Tendinitis Of The Foot
- Toe Arthritis
- Toe Cartilage Damage
- Toe Deformity
- Toe Dislocation
- Toe Joint Sprain
- Toe Nerve Damage
- Toe Tenosynovitis
Procedures I perform
- Achilles Tendon Rupture Treatment
- Ankle Arthroscopy
- Ankle Fracture Treatment
- Ankle Ligament Repair
- Ankle Replacement
- Ankle Stabilization
- Arthrodesis Of Ankle
- Bone Repair
- Clubfoot Correction
- Diabetes Foot Care
- Fibula Osteotomy
- Flap Surgery
- Foot Sprain Treatment
- Foot Wound Debridement
- Ganglion Cyst Excision
- Heel Pain Treatment
- Heel Spur Removal
- Heel Tendon Repair
- Hindfoot Amputation
- Matrixectomy
- Metatarsalgia Treatment
- Morton's Neuroma Injections
- Muscle Injection
- Neuroma Excision
- Non-Healing Wound Treatment
- Orthopedic Bracing
- Orthotic Device Fitting
- Osteochondritis Dissecans Treatment
- Osteomyelitis Treatment
- Peroneal Tendonitis Treatment
- Plantar Fascia Release
- Plantar Fasciitis Treatment
- Prosthetic And Orthotic Devices
- Sports Injury Treatment
- Sports Medicine Of The Foot
- Sprain And Strain Treatment
- Tarsal Tunnel Release
- Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment
- Tendon Transplantation
- Toe Fracture Reduction
- Toe Nail Resection
- Toe Replacement Surgery
- Toe Sprain Treatment
- Venous Ulcer Treatment
- Weil Osteotomy
- Wound Care
- Wound 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
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- IH-Open POS Plus
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Aetna HMO
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Optimum Choice
- IH-HMO
- IH-Indemnity
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- CIGNA Indemnity
- UHC Passport
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Sentara Health
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Core Essential (HMO)
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- IH-POS Plus
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Aetna Classic 3500
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- CIGNA PPO
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- TRICARE East Select
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- United Healthcare Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Choice POS
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Medicare FFS
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Navigate
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- IH-Open POS II
- CareFirst Administrators
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- POS OA
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- IH-EPO Plus
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Blue Choice Advantage
- CareFirst NASCO
- First Health PPO
- IH-PPO
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- TRICARE for Life East
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Choice Fund PPO
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- United Student Resources
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- HighMark
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Choice POS II
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- TRICARE East Prime
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Network OA
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Beech Street PPO
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- MultiPlan, Inc
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- OA Plus
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Tricare Reserve Select
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Basic
- IH-POS
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Employee Health Plan
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- CareFirst EPO
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- CIGNA EPO
- Medicare Direct
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- First Health PPO
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- IH-Open HMO
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Aetna VA Exchange
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery, Foot and Ankle Surgery
Fellowship: Northside Hospital Atlanta (2018)
Residency: Wayne State University School of Medicine (2017)
Medical School: Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine (2014)
Hospital affiliations
News and publications
Alexandra T. Black, Jered M. Stowers, Son Tran, Karla De La Mata, Alain E. Sherman, Ali RahnamaVaghef. Clinical Outcomes for Pilon Variant Posterior Malleolar Fractures: A Multicenter Retrospective Analysis. The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery, Volume 61, Issue 6, 2022, Pages 1303-1307, ISSN 1067-2516.
Stowers JM, Black AT, Kavanagh AM, Mata K, Bohm A, Katchis SD, Weiner LS, Spielfogel W, Rahnama A. Predicting Nonunions in Ankle Fractures Using Quantitative Tibial Hounsfield Samples From Preoperative Computed Tomography: A Multicenter Matched Case Control Study. J Foot Ankle Surg. 2022 May-Jun;61(3):562-566. doi: 10.1053/j.jfas.2021.10.007. Epub 2021 Oct 22. PMID: 34819267.
Black AT, Stowers JM, Tenley J, Hu CY, Eshetu T, Spielfogel WD, Katchis SD, RahnamaVaghef A, Weiner LS. The Association Between Lateral Radiographs and Axial Computed Tomography of Posterior Malleolar Fractures as a Tool for Predicting Medial Malleolar Extension: A Multi-Center Retrospective Analysis. J Foot Ankle Surg. 2021 Mar 10:S1067-2516(21)00080-6. doi: 10.1053/j.jfas.2021.03.002. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33785238.
Zeeshan S. Husain, Ali Rahnama-Vaghef; Staged Surgical Management of Open Navicular Fracture Secondary to a Gunshot Injury. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 1 May 2021; 111 (3): Article_21. doi: https://doi.org/10.7547/18-035