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Home > NC Providers > Orthopedic Surgeons

Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD

Accepting New Patients

(632 Ratings)

Specializes in: Orthopedics/Orthopedic Surgery

Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine

Professional interests include: ankle problems, neck problems, microdiscectomy, and more.

902 N Howe Street
Southport, NC 28461

(910) 457-4789

Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD is an orthopedist in Leland, NC specializing in orthopedics/orthopedic surgery. He graduated from Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine. Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD is affiliated with UNC Health, EmergeOrtho, UNC Health Alliance and EmergeOrtho.

Office Locations

1168 E. Cutlar Crossing
Leland, NC 28451

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1168 East Cutlar Crossing
Leland, NC

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EmergeOrtho

2716 Ashton Drive
Wilmington, NC 28412

(910) 332-3800

(910) 251-0421

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902 N Howe Street
Southport, NC 28461

(910) 457-4789

(910) 457-5824

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Some issues Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD can help you with:

Spinal Fusion

Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure to permanently join together two or more vertebrae, the bones in the spine. Certain spinal disorders can lead to instability and pain, and the idea behind spinal fusion is that fusing vertebrae together can both make them stronger and reduce motion, which can sometimes reduce pain.

There are several different types of spinal fusion surgery available, mostly depending on where a patient's pain is located and whether his or her surgeon will perform the procedure through the back, front, or side. In general, a fusion is performed by packing the vertebrae to be fused with grafted bone. This bone may be taken from the patient's hip, may be donated from a cadaver, or it may be a manufactured synthetic material. The bone is placed along the vertebrae, and sometimes, the disc that lies in between the vertebrae is removed and replaced with grafted bone. The bone material will grow and cement the two vertebrae together. After the bone graft is placed, the vertebrae are sometimes held in place with rods, screws, plates, or cages, depending on the weakness of the spine and needs of the graft.

Spinal fusion is a significant surgery and can take three to four hours or more. Recovery is typically two to four days in the hospital. After surgery, it is important to remember that the fusion takes time to grow from the bone graft. So, the actual fusion is not complete for several months. Patients will probably feel somewhat better right away, but it may take a while to feel the full effects of the fusion as the bone grows into place. In the meantime, doctors might have patients wear a brace to protect their spine and keep it properly aligned.

Spinal fusion is not used for all kinds of back pain. Changing the way the spine moves can lead to strain on the other joints in the back, and fusion is only performed when the benefits outweigh the risks. Some spine disorders that are treated with fusion include:

Curvature disorders, such as scoliosis and kyphosis
Degenerative disc disease
Spondylolisthesis, a disorder that causes vertebrae to slip over each other
Significant spinal fractures that cause instability
Weakened spine due to infection or tumor
Some cases of spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal column
Chronic lower back pain (although the use of fusion to treat this is controversial)

Regardless of the diagnosis, there is always a possibility of 'failure' with spinal fusion, or of the surgery not fully solving the pain. This is more likely when fusion is used primarily to treat pain instead of structural problems. Patients can improve their chances of a successful outcome by stopping smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, moving their body every day, and following their doctor's instructions for any physical therapy that they are prescribed.

Noteworthy Medicare Patient Procedures Performed by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD in 2023

Click on any procedure below to see further details on volume and pricing among Medicare patients.

Top 10%

By Affordability:

In 2023, Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD had a list price for ankle MRI, hip MRI, joint MRI, knee MRI, and lower extremity MRI that was lower than the list prices billed to Medicare by 90% of providers in related specialties within North Carolina. Actual amounts paid by patients can vary widely depending on a number of factors, including insurance coverage. A lower list price, however, might mean lower fees when paying without insurance.

Top 25%

By Volume:

MRI

spine imaging

spine X-ray

By Affordability:

spine X-ray

X-rays

In 2012, among providers in related specialties within North Carolina, Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD performed more MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), spine imaging, and spine X-ray procedures for Medicare patients than 75% of them and he also had a list price for spine X-ray, and X-rays that was lower than the list prices billed to Medicare by 75% of them. Actual amounts paid by patients can vary widely depending on a number of factors, including insurance coverage. A lower list price, however, might mean lower fees when paying without insurance.

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2012 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD treated as an orthopedist in Leland, NC during 2012 were spinal procedures, X-rays, injections and aspiration.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	22
doctor visit	369
injections	43
nerve block	21
pain management	21
spinal procedures	77
X-rays	56

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2013 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD treated as an orthopedist in Leland, NC during 2013 were spinal procedures, X-rays, injections and pain management.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	54
decompression surgery	17
doctor visit	797
hospital care	19
image guided procedures	16
injections	118
inpatient care	19
minimally invasive procedures	16
musculoskeletal imaging	18
nerve block	48
nerve procedures	17
pain management	64
pelvic imaging	16
spinal procedures	198
X-rays	151

2013 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD.

**Gender**
Male	211
Female	304

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	480
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	283
From 75 to 84	119
85 and over	40
Less than 65	73

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD in 2013

Hypertension	71
High Cholesterol	65
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	31
Depression	25
Chronic Kidney Disease	18
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	9
Heart Failure	15
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	18
Diabetes	32
Dementia	6
Cancer	6

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2014 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD treated as an orthopedist in Leland, NC during 2014 were spinal procedures, injections, X-rays and pain management.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	57
decompression surgery	27
doctor visit	959
hospital care	34
injections	121
inpatient care	34
musculoskeletal imaging	18
nerve block	50
nerve procedures	27
pain management	64
spinal procedures	166
X-rays	107

2014 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD.

**Gender**
Male	224
Female	357

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	538
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	280
From 75 to 84	156
85 and over	45
Less than 65	100

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD in 2014

Hypertension	71
High Cholesterol	69
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	32
Depression	28
Chronic Kidney Disease	15
Asthma	8
Osteoperosis	10
Atrial Fibrilation	12
Heart Failure	14
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	18
Diabetes	31
Dementia	8
Cancer	10

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2015 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD treated as an orthopedist in Leland, NC during 2015 were spinal procedures, X-rays, injections and pain management.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	28
decompression surgery	29
doctor visit	1085
hip imaging	16
hospital care	13
image guided procedures	37
injections	100
inpatient care	13
minimally invasive procedures	37
musculoskeletal imaging	34
nerve block	24
nerve procedures	29
pain management	72
spinal procedures	238
X-rays	165

2015 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD.

**Gender**
Male	548
Female	850

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	1266
Black	88
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	706
From 75 to 84	388
85 and over	98
Less than 65	206

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD in 2015

Hypertension	73
High Cholesterol	71
Stroke	6
Ischemic Heart Disease	31
Depression	27
Chronic Kidney Disease	20
Asthma	14
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	14
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	20
Diabetes	33
Dementia	8
Cancer	6

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2016 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD treated as an orthopedist in Leland, NC during 2016 were spinal procedures, X-rays, injections and nerve procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD for Medicare patients.

aspiration	16
decompression surgery	29
doctor visit	1034
image guided procedures	14
immobilization	25
injections	41
minimally invasive procedures	14
musculoskeletal imaging	12
nerve procedures	29
pain management	25
spinal procedures	252
X-rays	235

2016 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD.

**Gender**
Male	275
Female	494

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	682
Black	65
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	401
From 75 to 84	199
85 and over	69
Less than 65	100

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD in 2016

Hypertension	71
High Cholesterol	65
Stroke	2
Ischemic Heart Disease	29
Depression	26
Chronic Kidney Disease	19
Asthma	17
Osteoperosis	10
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	12
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	15
Diabetes	28
Dementia	8
Cancer	9

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2017 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD treated as an orthopedist in Leland, NC during 2017 were spinal procedures, X-rays, nerve procedures and decompression surgery.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD for Medicare patients.

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	14
decompression surgery	48
doctor visit	1203
image guided procedures	44
immobilization	15
injections	44
minimally invasive procedures	44
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)	30
nerve procedures	48
pain management	44
spinal procedures	421
X-rays	268

2017 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD.

**Gender**
Male	323
Female	573

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	782
Black	86
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	16
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	477
From 75 to 84	231
85 and over	60
Less than 65	128

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD in 2017

Hypertension	73
High Cholesterol	58
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	31
Depression	26
Chronic Kidney Disease	22
Asthma	9
Osteoperosis	10
Atrial Fibrilation	8
Heart Failure	14
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	17
Diabetes	28
Dementia	6
Cancer	8

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2018 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD treated as an orthopedist in Leland, NC during 2018 were spinal procedures, X-rays, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and pain management.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD for Medicare patients.

decompression surgery	25
doctor visit	1339
image guided procedures	40
immobilization	19
injections	40
minimally invasive procedures	40
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)	90
nerve procedures	25
pain management	40
spinal procedures	501
X-rays	346

2018 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD.

**Gender**
Male	374
Female	536

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	820
Black	56
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	17
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	486
From 75 to 84	263
85 and over	75
Less than 65	86

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD in 2018

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	74
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	30
Depression	30
Chronic Kidney Disease	27
Asthma	6
Osteoperosis	10
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	14
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	15
Diabetes	29
Dementia	7
Cancer	10

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2019 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD treated as an orthopedist in Leland, NC during 2019 were spinal procedures, X-rays, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and immobilization.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD for Medicare patients.

decompression surgery	19
doctor visit	1192
image guided procedures	23
immobilization	26
injections	23
minimally invasive procedures	23
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)	121
nerve procedures	19
pain management	23
spinal procedures	478
X-rays	315

2019 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD.

**Gender**
Male	344
Female	504

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	773
Black	46
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	12
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	456
From 75 to 84	245
85 and over	72
Less than 65	75

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD in 2019

Hypertension	73
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	32
Depression	27
Chronic Kidney Disease	26
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	12
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	15
Diabetes	28
Dementia	5
Cancer	11

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2020 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD treated as an orthopedist in Leland, NC during 2020 were spinal procedures, X-rays, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and immobilization.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD for Medicare patients.

decompression surgery	15
doctor visit	885
immobilization	27
implant surgery	13
injections	12
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)	81
nerve procedures	15
neurostimulator replacement	13
spinal procedures	323
X-rays	214

2020 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD.

**Gender**
Male	282
Female	396

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	611
Black	40
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	376
From 75 to 84	201
85 and over	47
Less than 65	54

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD in 2020

Hypertension	66
High Cholesterol	71
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	30
Depression	30
Chronic Kidney Disease	25
Asthma	6
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	11
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	13
Diabetes	25
Dementia	7
Cancer	10

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2021 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD treated as an orthopedist in Leland, NC during 2021 were spinal procedures, X-rays, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and pain management.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD for Medicare patients.

decompression surgery	14
doctor visit	999
hip imaging	17
image guided procedures	11
immobilization	32
implant surgery	16
injections	34
minimally invasive procedures	11
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)	143
musculoskeletal imaging	17
nerve procedures	14
neurostimulator replacement	16
pain management	34
spinal procedures	457
X-rays	290

2021 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD.

**Gender**
Male	326
Female	455

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	712
Black	40
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	427
From 75 to 84	237
85 and over	57
Less than 65	60

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD in 2021

Hypertension	69
High Cholesterol	73
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	30
Depression	29
Chronic Kidney Disease	26
Asthma	8
Osteoperosis	13
Atrial Fibrilation	9
Heart Failure	12
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	12
Diabetes	27
Dementia	7
Cancer	8

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2022 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD treated as an orthopedist in Leland, NC during 2022 were spinal procedures, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), X-rays and pain management.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD for Medicare patients.

decompression surgery	14
doctor visit	813
hip imaging	19
immobilization	15
implant surgery	15
injections	39
minimally invasive procedures	25
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)	143
musculoskeletal imaging	19
nerve procedures	14
neurostimulator lead placement	25
neurostimulator replacement	15
pain management	39
spinal procedures	318
X-rays	140

2022 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD.

**Gender**
Male	312
Female	353

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	608
Black	32
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	350
From 75 to 84	229
85 and over	48
Less than 65	38

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD in 2022

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	6
Ischemic Heart Disease	27
Depression	26
Chronic Kidney Disease	20
Asthma	8
Osteoperosis	16
Atrial Fibrilation	16
Heart Failure	12
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	14
Diabetes	28
Dementia	6
Cancer	14

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2012 - 2022

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD treated as an orthopedist in Leland, NC were spinal procedures, X-rays, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and injections.

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	14
aspiration	35
decompression surgery	23
doctor visit	970
hip imaging	17
hospital care	22
image guided procedures	26
immobilization	22
implant surgery	14
injections	55
inpatient care	22
minimally invasive procedures	26
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)	101
musculoskeletal imaging	19
nerve block	35
nerve procedures	23
neurostimulator lead placement	25
neurostimulator replacement	14
pain management	42
pelvic imaging	16
spinal procedures	311
X-rays	207

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2012 - 2022

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD.

**Gender**
Male	292
Female	438

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	41
Asian / Pacific Islander	0
Non-Hispanic White	661
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	0
Other	4

**Age**
75 to 84	206
85 and over	55
Less than 65	83
65 to 74	385

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD From 2012 - 2022

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, ischemic heart disease and diabetes.

Hypertension	65
High Cholesterol	63
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	27
Depression	24
Chronic Kidney Disease	19
Asthma	8
Osteoporosis	9
Heart Failure	11
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	14
Diabetes	26
Atrial Fibrillation	9
Dementia	6
Cancer	8

Education & Training

Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD graduated from Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine. He completed residency at Medical University of South Carolina Affiliated Hospitals. He is certified by the Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon and has a state license in South Carolina.

Medical School: Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine

Residency: Medical University of South Carolina Affiliated Hospitals

Board Certification: Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon

Licensed In: South Carolina

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

UNC Health

EmergeOrtho

UNC Health Alliance

EmergeOrtho

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD has an exceptional overall rating with an average of 4.8 out of 5 stars based on 632 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD from all over the web to help you find the right in Leland, NC.

4.8

Overall Rating

(632 Ratings)

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General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Mark D. Foster, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
Wright Medical Technology, Inc.	$2,832 FOOTANDANKLE $1,597	Foot and Ankle $940	AUGMENT $107	Cartiva $49	ORTHOLOC $28	Other $111
Globus Medical, Inc.	$2,452 Spine $1,847	Excelsius - GPS $235	CREO $219	RISE-L $144	Excelsius Robotics System $5	Other $3
Medtronic USA, Inc.	$2,416 DIVERGENCE-L $1,152	CAPSTONE $828	PIVOX Oblique Lateral Spinal System $152	ADAPTIVESTIM $143	Spinal Cord Neurostimulation - Neuro $91	Other $51
Arthrex, Inc.	$1,552 $1,552
Stryker Corporation	$1,413 PROstep $659	Prophecy $654	INBONE $57	SALVATION $23	ORTHOLOC 2 LAPIFUSE $19
Other	$4,577 Intracept $443	Senza Spinal Cord Stimulation System $342	PAIN MANAGEMENT $340	Interventional Therapies $219	SPECTRA WAVEWRITER $188	Other $3,044

**Types of Payments**
Travel and Lodging	$8,103
Food and Beverage	$5,123
Education	$2,016

Biography

Dr. Mark Foster is a specialist in orthopedics/orthopedic surgery in Southport, NC, Wilmington, NC, and Leland, NC. Dr. Foster has received a 5.0 out of 5 star rating by his patients. His clinical interests include foot problems, kyphoplasty (vertebral augmentation), and spinal fusion. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine. His training includes a residency program at a hospital affiliated with Medical University of South Carolina. He is affiliated with EmergeOrtho and UNC Health. UNC Health reports that Dr. Foster is accepting new patients at his office in Wilmington, NC.