American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS), under the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) · Current 2026 Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Description of Specialty Practice (DSP) and Specialist Certification Examination Outline: Orthopaedics. The workbook label “Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS)” maps to APTA’s Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy (OCS) credential and its certification examination; it is not a separate current examination. The public outline does not state an exact effective day.

This original 20-question sample covers selected topics across the outline. It does not reproduce official exam questions or cover every tested topic.

• Specialist Certification Examination Outline: Orthopaedics
• Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Description of Specialty Practice
• Orthopaedics
• Interventions for the Management of Acute and Chronic Low Back Pain: Revision 2021
• Management of Osteoarthritis of the Knee (Non-Arthroplasty) Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline, 3rd Edition
• OARSI Guidelines for the Non-surgical Management of Knee, Hip, and Polyarticular Osteoarthritis
• Hip Pain and Mobility Deficits—Hip Osteoarthritis: Revision 2025
• Physical Therapy Assessment and Treatment in Patients With Nonspecific Neck Pain
• Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy Diagnosis, Nonsurgical Medical Care, and Rehabilitation: A Clinical Practice Guideline
• Ankle Stability and Movement Coordination Impairments: Lateral Ankle Ligament Sprains Revision
• APTA Clinical Practice Guidelines Library
• Assessment and early investigation of cauda equina syndrome: a systematic review of existing international guidelines and summary of the current evidence
• A Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: Introduction, Rationale, and Scope
• A pragmatic neurological screen for patients with suspected cord compressive myelopathy
• 2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain
• Warning Signs of a Heart Attack
• Management of chronic pain associated with temporomandibular disorders: a clinical practice guideline
• Diagnostic Accuracy of Clusters of Pain Provocation Tests for Detecting Sacroiliac Joint Pain: Systematic Review With Meta-analysis
• Clinical practice guideline for physical therapist management of total knee arthroplasty: revision 2026
• APTA: Academy of Hand and Upper Extremity Physical Therapy and Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy: Lateral Elbow Pain and Muscle Function Impairments