Donald Stewart, M.D.
Dr. Donald Stewart is a board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in foot and ankle care. With a passion rooted in science and a commitment to improving quality of life, Dr. Stewart brings both technical expertise and compassionate care to every case. His surgical practice includes Achilles tendon repair, bunion correction (including 3D Lapiplasty), hammertoe correction, midfoot fusion, and minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques that promote quicker healing and less pain.
Drawn to orthopedics for its hands-on nature and capacity to restore function, Dr. Stewart found his calling in the complexity of foot and ankle care—a field that is both intellectually rigorous and constantly evolving. He approaches every case like a game of chess—strategically planning several moves ahead to deliver the best outcome. He also takes pride in offering nonoperative solutions, such as braces, orthotics, and shoe modifications, when appropriate.
Dr. Stewart completed his Foot and Ankle Fellowship at the Foundation Orthopedic Athletic and Reconstruction Research (FOARR) Fellowship in Houston in 2008, followed by additional training in Germany. He has contributed to the care of elite athletes and organizations including Rice University Athletics, the Houston Rockets, Houston Texans, Houston Dynamo, and Houston Ballet. Locally, he assists in caring for athletes from the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), Mansfield ISD, Midlothian ISD, Nelson University (formerly SAGU), and Dallas Rugby.
Dr. Stewart is proud to serve the Arlington and Mansfield communities, since he grew up in the area. His approach to patient care is grounded in humility and humanity: “First, be a compassionate human being. Then be a medical doctor. Then be an orthopedic surgeon. Then be a specialty-trained foot and ankle surgeon.” He sees each patient as a unique individual and strives to treat the whole person—not just the condition.
Outside of medicine, he enjoys working out in his garage gym, spending quality time with his wife, kids, and dog, and diving into topics on health span and life span. He also enjoys cars and driving simulators when time permits.
Education & Training
- 2010 – Board Certified Orthopedic Surgery and Foot and Ankle Surgery
- 2010 – Pretoria, SouthAfrica – Advanced Taylor Spatial Frame Training – One week course for evaluation and management of complex limb salvage problems using computer assisted multiplanar external fixators
- 2008 – Dresden, Germany = AO Fellowship – Two month fellowship with Dr. Zwipp/ Rammelt – Focus on lower extremity trauma and posttraumatic reconstruction
- 2007-2008 – Houston, TX – Foundation Orthopedic Athletic and Reconstr. Research Fellowship in Foot and Ankle Surgery – Director: Thomas O. Clanton M.D. – Contact: 713-799-2429
- 2002-2007 – Temple, TX – Scott and White Hospital – Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program – Chairman: Robert A. Probe M.D. – Contact: 254-724-6734
- 1998-2002 – Dallas, TX – UT Southwestern Medical School – Degree: Medical Doctorate – Honors: Alpha Omega Alpha
- 1994-1998 – College Station, TX – Texas A&M University – Degree: Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science Honors: Summa Cum Laude
Professional Interests
- Reconstructive Foot and Ankle Surgery
- Sports Medicine
- Assist with professional, high school, and collegiate athletics for foot and ankle injuries
- Trauma
- Complex lower extremity trauma, especially the ankle and foot
- Deformity correction
- Limb salvage
- Work with residents and medical students as a mentor so they may gain experience in both orthopedic and patient care
- Participate in medical Mission trips outside of the US to provide basic orthopedic care; my goal is to volunteer for one trip a year.
- Advance the field in Foot and Ankle sports medicine through research
Research
- 2016
Arlington, TX – Biomechanical Study on Fixation of Syndesmotic Injuries with Ultrasound Evaluation- Sequential fixation with tightropes and internal brace
- Goal is to restore rotation to normal physiology
- 2005
Houston, TX – Shriner’s Hospital – Effect Of Lateral Column Lengthening and Medial Column Stabilization on Foot Pressures in Cerebral Palsy- Analyzing foot pressures after surgery for pes planovalgus deformity and comparing to pre-operative foot pressures
- Podium presentation at AAOS
- 6/97-8/98
Dallas, TX – Molecular and Cell Biology Department – Undergraduate Research Fellow- Isolation of a promoter sequence in Drosophila melanogaster for signaling apoptosis
Publications
- 2020 – Wood, Stewart et al. Kinematic analysis of combined suture-button and suture anchor augment constructs for ankle syndesmosis injuries. Foot and Ankle International. Vol 41 (4) 463-472.
- 2016 – Cromeens, Stewart, et al. An Attachment-Based Description of the Medial Collateral and Spring Ligament Complexes. Foot and Ankle International. Vol36(6) 710-721.
- 2013 – Brinker. Review of Orthopedic Trauma. Primary author for chapter on Injuries of the Ankle and chapter on Injuries of the foot.
- 2012 – Chaput, Dangott, Rahm, Hitt, Stewart, Sampson. A proteomic Variation Between Osteopenic and Age-matched Control Bone Tissue. Experimental Biology and Medicine00: 1-8, 2012.
- 2011 – Cromeens, B; Patterson R; Sheedlo H; Motley T; Stewart D.: Association of hindfoot ligament tears and osteochondral lesions. Foot Ankle Int. 32:1164-1174, 2011.
Presentations
- 2016-present
Arthrex Speaker and Laboratory Instructor- Focus on sports injuries and foot and ankle reconstruction
- 2014-present
Work Twice Weekly with Orthopedic Residents John Petersmith Hospital- Residents assist in clinic and operating room
- Provide Grand Rounds and Lecture three times a year
- 2010-present
Course Instructor Smith Nephew TSF- Lecture Presentation and laboratory assistance for multiplanar external fixators/ Taylor Spatial Frames
- 2008-2010
AO Instructor for Synthes- Focus is on trauma reconstruction foot and ankle
- 2007
AAOS Podium Presentation- Effect Of Lateral Column Lengthening and Medial Column Stabilization on Foot Pressures in Cerebral Palsy
Personal Interests
- Traveling
- Running- completed Austin Marathon 2008; completed Spartan races 2011, 2012, and Trifecta 2015
- Camping and Backpacking
- Crossfit
- Olympic Lifting
- Cars
- Movies
- Nutritional Science and metabolic disorders
- Movement disorders and how they relate to injury and rehab
Volunteer Work
- 2015-2019 – TCU Athletics Assistant Team Physician/Orthopedic Foot and Ankle
- 2015, 2016 Irving Marathon Orthopedic Physician
- 2012-present Faith In Practice
Orthopedic Medical Staff for Mission trips to Antigua Guatemala- Annual one week mission trips focused on complex foot and ankle problems
- 2007-2008 – Houston, TX
UT Houston
Assistant Team Physician for Rice Athletics and Houston Rockets - 2006 -Temple, TX
Scott and White Hospital Physician- Sports medicine talks for personal trainers
- 2002-2003 – Temple, TX
Scott and White Hospital- Team Physician local high schools
- 2001-2005 – Temple, TX
Scott and White Hospital Physician- Participate in high school physicals 2-3 times per year
- 1999 – Dallas, TX
UT Southwestern Medical School
Member of Welcome Committee- Attended all interviews and set up interview lunches
- 1994-1997 – College Station, TX
Texas A&M Bonfire Building Crew Member- Participated 50-60 hours each fall in cutting trees and building bonfire for the rally before the Texas A&M and University of Texas football game