Matthew Buchanan, M.D.,

Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgeon

Dr. Matthew Buchanan, Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgeon, completed his Bachelor of Science degree at Duke University, earning the Dean’s List Award. He received his medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine where he was awarded the Department of Surgery Jonasson Prize for “Exceptional Performance and Dedication to Surgery”. Dr. Buchanan completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at West Virginia University where he was selected to serve as Chief Resident. He then went on to pursue further fellowship training in foot and ankle at the prestigious Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Center in Columbus, Ohio where he assisted in the care of professional athletes.

Dr. Buchanan is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon who has dedicated his practice to the care of the foot and ankle. A careful listener, he prides himself on creating individualized treatment plans focused on superior patient outcomes. Dr. Buchanan is proud to be part of an exclusive group of surgeons who have been selected to all four local Top Doctor Lists: Washingtonian Magazine, Arlington Magazine, Virginia Living Magazine and Northern Virginia Magazine.

Dr. Buchanan was an orthopaedic foot and ankle consultant to The Washington Ballet and served as an Assistant Clinical Professor at the Georgetown University Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. He has lectured nationally and internationally on a diverse number of foot and ankle topics including minimally invasive foot and ankle surgery. Dedicated to teaching, Dr. Buchanan has been selected by multiple top local foot and ankle training programs to instruct residents on his advanced surgical techniques.

Dr. Buchanan has been performing Total Ankle Replacements for more than 15 years. He holds an advanced certificate in Total Ankle Replacement and was one of the first surgeons to use cutting-edge patient-specific instrumentation which creates 3D-printed surgical guides to improve the outcomes of Total Ankle Replacements. His current research interests include minimizing the recovery time associated with Total Ankle Replacement Surgery.

He is also one of the region’s leaders in Minimally Invasive Bunion Correction. This technique utilizes tiny, cosmetic incisions to remove bunions while reducing pain and increasing patient satisfaction. He is passionate about minimally invasive foot and ankle surgery and utilizes these techniques whenever possible to reduce pain, improve cosmetic results and increase patient satisfaction. Dr. Buchanan has extensive experience using minimally invasive surgical techniques for additional foot and ankle procedures including hammertoe correction, Achilles tendon rupture repair, flatfoot correction, fracture fixation, cartilage restoration and repair of sports injuries.

Dedicated to research, Dr. Buchanan has authored multiple book chapters on foot and ankle topics including Minimally Invasive Foot and Ankle Surgery, Flat Feet and Sesamoid injuries. He recently contributed a chapter for a textbook titled Essential Foot and Ankle Surgical Techniques. His research articles have been published in leading medical journals and have described the optimum technique to treat traumatic midfoot injuries, studied a leading method of ankle cartilage repair, analyzed the effects of smoking on bone healing and examined pain after foot and ankle surgery. He currently serves on the editorial board for Footeducation.com and has served as an editor for Foot and Ankle International and Foot and Ankle Specialist. A perpetual innovator, Dr. Buchanan is currently working with one of the top Orthopaedic implant manufacturers on development of an advanced surgical staple to improve outcomes after foot and ankle surgery. Additionally, he holds a patent on a unique FDA-approved surgical plate designed to speed recovery after bunion correction.

Prior to his career in the DC area, he practiced in the mountains of Colorado where he served as Chief of Surgery at St. Anthony’s Summit Medical Center and took primary orthopaedic trauma call for the six major ski resorts in that area (Vail, Breckenridge, Beaver Creek, Keystone, Copper, A-Basin). In 2007, he left the mountains of Colorado for the DC area to focus his practice exclusively on the care of the foot and ankle.

An active sports enthusiast who loves the great outdoors, Dr. Buchanan understands a patient’s desire for a quick recovery. He is an avid cyclist who organized and completed a 3300-mile self-supported, coast-to-coast bicycle ride to support Children’s Miracle Network. He enjoys endurance mountain biking and has completed numerous 24-hour mountain bike races as well as the Leadville 100. Dr. Buchanan is an accomplished whitewater kayaker and has navigated multiple Class V rivers. An Eagle Scout and father of two Scouts, he loves climbing Colorado 14ers, backpacking, backcountry skiing and camping. Dr. Buchanan and his wife, Angela, are raising their two sons in Arlington.

Education

B.S., Duke University
M.D., The Ohio State University

Residency

Orthopaedic Surgery, West Virginia University

Fellowship

Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Center, Columbus Ohio

Board Certification

American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery

Professional Distinctions

Washingtonian Magazine Top Doctor
Arlington Magazine Top Vote Getter: Best Orthopedic Surgeon
Virginia Living Top Doctor
Northern Virginia Magazine Top Doctor
Foot and Ankle Consultant for Washington Ballet
Assistant Clinical Professor, Georgetown University Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Foot and Ankle Consultant for Virginia Hospital Center Wound Healing Center
Inventor of FDA-approved Bunion Correction Device allowing immediate weight bearing after Bunion surgery
Author of Book Chapters on Minimally Invasive Ankle Surgery, Sesamoid Injuries and Flat Feet
Author of Research Articles on Ankle Cartilage Repair, Ankle Ligament Repair, Post-Operative pain and LisFranc Traumatic Midfoot Injuries
Numerous TV appearances and Radio Interviews discussing Foot and Ankle Conditions
Invited Faculty/Speaker at Regional, National and International Orthopaedic Surgery Meetings
Advanced Certificate, Total Ankle Replacement
Current Editor for FootEducation.com
Past Editor for Foot and Ankle International
Past Editor for Foot and Ankle Specialist
Diplomate, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons (ABOS)
Fellow, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)
Member, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS)
Member, Virginia Orthopaedic Society (VOS)
Member, Arlington County Medical Society (ACMS)

Special Procedures/Techniques

Total Ankle Replacement – Total Ankle Arthroplasty
Exactech Vantage Total Ankle Replacement
Exactech Vantage PSI (Patient Specific Instrumentation)
Prophecy Infinity Total Ankle Replacement
Prophecy InBone II Total Ankle Replacement
Prophecy Invision Revision Total Ankle Replacement
Revision Total Ankle Replacement
Minimally Invasive Bunion Surgery (MIS Chevron/Akin, PECA, MICA)
Minimally Invasive Lapidus Bunion Surgery
Minimally Invasive Achilles Tendon Repair Techniques (PARS)
Minimally Invasive Trauma Surgery and Fracture Repair
Minimally Invasive Zadek Osteotomy for Heel Pain/Achilles Tendon Pain
Minimally Invasive Hammertoe Surgery
Minimally Invasive Osteotomies for Flatfoot Correction
Forefoot Plantar Plate Repair
Cartilage Repair and Regeneration using DeNovo, Cartiform, Biocartilage
Advanced Wound Healing Techniques
Tendon Transfers for Footdrop – Bridle Procedure
Repair of Complex Traumatic Injuries to the Foot and Ankle
Arthroscopic Treatment of Foot and Ankle Conditions
Complex Ankle Ligament and Tendon Repair and Reconstruction
Comprehensive Surgical Management of Foot and Ankle Sports Injuries
Diabetic Foot Care and Limb Salvage
Revision Foot/Ankle Surgery
Correction of Failed Prior Foot and Ankle Surgery

To email Dr. Buchanan’s administrative assistant, please email DrBuchanan@nirschl.com. This email address is only monitored by Dr. Buchanan’s administrative assistant. For any urgent concerns, please call the office directly.

Patient Story: Total Ankle Replacement

I am thrilled with the bone healing and correction alignment of all my toe and foot bones
after my Minimally Invasive Bunion and Hammertow Correction. Thank you, Dr. Buchanan!
– Cindy Browning

Total Ankle Replacement

Minimally Invasive Bunion Correction

Minimally Invasive Achilles Repair

Foot & Ankle Trauma

Foot & Ankle Articles

Orthopaedic Surgeon or Podiatrist?

Preparing for Surgery

Foot & Ankle Rehab Protocols

Patient Testimonials

Dear Dr. Buchanan,
So I’m just off the bike, covered in sweat and tears of joy, and felt compelled to say thank you for everything you’ve done for me (peroneal tendon repair surgery)! I am truly beyond grateful for you and (my therapist). It feels so good to move and tax my body again and it makes me emotional thinking about it. Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I sincerely hope the universe is sending you back all the positive energy that you project out into the world.
Peace,
NLB
Nurse Practitioner

Dr. Buchanan,
I do not know whether you remember operating on me, or not. It was March 21, 2006 when you inserted a rod into my leg after multiple fractures of my tibia and fibula. At the time you told me and my uncle Herb (who is also an orthopedic surgeon) that it was one of the worst injured legs you had seen. Well, its 13 years later and I was thinking about the wonders of ortho surgery. I just wanted to tell you that I had a very rapid recovery and was biking four months later. I resumed skiing the next year, when I returned to Vail in order to complete my run. As you suggested I no longer race and avoid ungroomed slopes. I’m now 68 years old, and still skiing and biking. Two summers ago I completed a 52-mile bike ride and this January I skied the Alps in Italy. All this was because of how well you operated on me. I had rehab back home near Chicago, and for a while, at least, they were using my x-rays in lectures at Northwestern Med. Once again, thanks for what you did for me.

– Marvin Rubenstein

Dr. Buchanan,
I don’t know how to express my appreciation for the work you did on my ankle last December 5th. My wife and I just returned from two weeks in Europe and I literally walked at least five miles per day, much of it up and down stairs in old Palaces and Cathedrals. I climbed to the top of the dome of Sacre’ Coeur in Paris, a steep winding stairwell. I was 100%, never feeling I was overdoing things. I know that a year ago this would have been very miserable, and my endurance would have been much reduced.

I know there are a lot of good surgeons, but I believe you are truly gifted. My wife and I had confidence in you from the first visit. I don’t know how to thank you for giving me back a quality of life that had been lost for several years. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and may God continue to bless you with your wonderful talents.

Regards,
Bruce H.

Dear Dr. Buchanan,
Thanks to you and your entire fine staff members. You helped me through a complicated surgery, and the aftercare and attentiveness have seen me through! I was so impressed by your skill as a surgeon as well as your good nature and patience, even at 7am appointments. Let me add kudos for the PT staff, all of which are outstanding!

With grateful thanks,
Paula

Dear Dr. Buchanan,
I just wanted to thank you for all you’ve done for me! I’ve been thanking the Lord every day that I can walk again and do most of the things I used to do before my accident. It came to me that you should be thanked, too!! After all, you were the one that put this foot back together again!! So again, thank you for all of your hard work and all the years it took you to become the Dr. you are today. May the Lord bless you and yours.

Sincerely,
Gail L

Dear Dr. Buchanan,
One year ago today, I sustained a spiral fracture to my tibia. At the time, it was a life-changing event, especially because I had never broken a bone before. But I was lucky enough to find you and thanks to your surgical skills, it’s nothing more than a distant memory. I’m happy to report I’m better than 100%. So I want to say “Thank You”!

Best,
Travis G

Dr. Buchanan,
I’m so embarrassed this took me three years to write! I just wanted to thank you SO VERY much for the amazing job you and your team did for me! I was living in chronic pain, which impacted my ability to do any races or even to do my job as a NICU nurse without limping and masking the pain with bottles of ibuprofen. I appreciated your clear-cut decision “the only way to improve this is with surgery”. From your surgical coordinator to the follow-up visits, your entire team was so positive and helpful. Two months post-op I was completely pain free and have been since then.

On the day of surgery I told you to make the joint strong because I wanted to do an IRONMAN someday! Without hesitation you said you would do that! 18 months later, I was competing in Ironman Mont-Tremblant in Canada consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2 mile run. My foot carried me to the finish line completely pain free in front of thousands of people cheering, my best friends who drove up there and Mike Reilly “the voice of Ironman” who greeted me at the finish. It was without a doubt the most amazing experience of my life, which never would have been a possibility without you and your team.

Since that time, I have completed 5 half-Ironman’s, multiple shorter distance triathlons, and am two semesters away from finishing my degree as a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner. I know for sure I would not have been able to do this with the pain I was in!
“Thank You” seems inadequate but I hope the joy you can see from these Ironman finisher pictures helps! Best of luck with your move and new job!

Sincerely,
Katie H

Dr. Buchanan,
You are a wonderful doctor but just an important to me; you are a good listener and kind human being. Your staff, while always professional was also very friendly and kind. Thanks to everyone for the way you treat your patients!

– Kay S.

Dear Dr. Buchanan,
Today is the first anniversary of my subtalar fusion. Thank you! You said that my foot would eventually stop hurting and swelling. Well…it has! I’m back to a regular life.

Thank you so very much! Lisa

Dear Dr. Buchanan,
I’ve met many orthopaedic surgeons but none who have both the experience and bedside manner that you’ve shown. I know it’s going to be a long recovery from the multiple procedures you put my left foot through, but wanted you to know how confident I am in a full recovery with you as my surgeon.

With kind regards,
Susan and Michael

Dr. Buchanan,
We just wanted to say thank you for all you have done for me. You got me back on my feet so I can get on with my life. It has been a pleasure knowing you. May God bless you and he sends good things your way.

Gary and Judy H.

Dr. Buchanan,
Thank you for the wonders of your expertise in getting me walking again! Judy

Dr. Buchanan,
When the x-rays indicated that I had a broken foot, I was really bummed. The thought of having to live with the inconvenience of walking with crutches was down right depressing! Your genuine caring and encouragement really helped me to make the best of it. Thank you for your enthusiasm and sincere interest. You helped me recover the “spring in my step

– Jody T.

Dr. Buchanan,
I wanted you to know how much you have helped me. I was stuck and you came along and helped me see the light at the end of the tunnel. Finally I am walking again! Thank you so much for your kindness and patience with me. I hope you have a great summer and I will see you in July for my last update! Thanks again!