David Smelser and Austin Kercheville
OCS Field Guide: A PT Podcast
Pass the OCS exam by studying smarter, not harder. This podcast is for physical therapists looking to become board-certified specialists in orthopedics. Use code FIELDGUIDE for $101 off a MedBridge subscription. DISCLAIMER: The information in this podcast is shared for educational purposes only and should not be regarded as medical advice. Always consult with an appropriate licensed provider if you have medical questions or concerns.
Author
David Smelser and Austin Kercheville
Category
Podcast website
Latest episode
Jan 18, 2026
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Episodes
Fracture Screening Practice Questions 18.01.2026 14:50
As a follow-up to our last episode, today we look at a few sample cases and practice questions related to fracture screening. Support the show Use code FIELDGUIDE for $101 or more off a Medbridge subscription . Support the podcast and get study guides and bonus episodes at Patreon.com/physiofieldguide . Find more resources and subscribe to practice questions at PhysioFieldGuide.com . DISCLAIMER: T...
Fracture Screening: Neck, Knee, Foot, and Ankle 05.12.2025 26:51
We're back after a busy break to review everyone's favorite fracture rules from the Great White North: the Canadian Cervical Spine Rules, Ottawa Knee Rules, and Ottawa Foot and Ankle Rules. We're giving special attention to common misunderstandings and misapplications of the rules. Some sources mentioned in the podcast: Canadian C Spine derivation: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1...
Hip Osteoarthritis CPG (2017 Update) 02.12.2023 19:43
Austin summarizes the latest hip osteoarthritis CPG, highlights some of the changes from the previous version, and explains one of the more surprising recommendations. Support the show Use code FIELDGUIDE for $101 or more off a Medbridge subscription . Support the podcast and get study guides and bonus episodes at Patreon.com/physiofieldguide . Find more resources and subscribe to practice questio...
Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome 12.11.2023 19:25
We're back from hiatus to discuss diagnosis and treatment of greater trochanteric pain syndrome. Hint: it's probably not bursitis. Articles referenced: Consensus statement: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37275836/ Classification system: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35391855/ ER de-rotation test: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6990389/ ITB foam rolling: https://pubmed.nc...
Lateral Ankle Sprains CPG: Interventions 25.01.2023 24:21
Today we wrap up the 2021 Lateral Ankle Sprains CPG by covering the interventions section. Support the show Use code FIELDGUIDE for $101 or more off a Medbridge subscription . Support the podcast and get study guides and bonus episodes at Patreon.com/physiofieldguide . Find more resources and subscribe to practice questions at PhysioFieldGuide.com . DISCLAIMER: The information in this podcast is s...
Lateral Ankle Sprains CPG: Course, Diagnosis, and Exam 10.01.2023 24:25
Today Austin takes us through the 2021 update of the lateral ankle sprain CPG, also called the "Ankle Stability and Movement Coordination Impairments: Lateral Ankle Ligament Sprains Revision - 2021" guideline. Support the show Use code FIELDGUIDE for $101 or more off a Medbridge subscription . Support the podcast and get study guides and bonus episodes at Patreon.com/physiofieldguide . F...
Midportion Achilles Tendinopathy Treatment 27.11.2022 24:31
Today we wrap up the mid portion Achilles tendinopathy CPG, but we also take things one step further by summarizing a 2015 article by Karin Silbernagel and Kay Crossley called, "A Proposed Return-to-Sport Program for Patients With Midportion Achilles Tendinopathy: Rationale and Implementation." For further reading, we also recommend taking a look at Silbernagel's "Current Clini...
Midportion Achilles Tendinopathy CPG: Pathology, Epidemiology, and Diagnosis 08.11.2022 22:35
We have a ton of information on midportion Achilles tendinopathy, which means it is likely to be an ankle/foot diagnosis that shows up quite a bit on the OCS exam. Today we walk through the first half of the 2018 CPG, including pathoanatomic factors, epidemiology, risk factors, clinical course, diagnosis, and outcome measures. Support the show Use code FIELDGUIDE for $101 or more off a Medbridge s...
Plantar Heel Pain CPG 12.10.2022 21:20
Today we transition to the foot and ankle with a review of the 2014 plantar heel pain CPG. Since this CPG is showing its age a little, Austin augments the recommendations with some research updates. The Foot Posture Index noted in the episode can be found on Physiopedia here . Support the show Use code FIELDGUIDE for $101 or more off a Medbridge subscription . Support the podcast and get study gui...
Low Back Pain CPG (2021 Update) 24.08.2022 24:40
We're back! This is the first time we have had to revisit a topic due to a CPG update, and the relationship between the 2012 and 2021 LBP CPG is complicated. To make things worse, the 2021 CPG was pretty controversial when it was released. How should you use these two documents to prepare for the OCS? We cover it here. Support the show Use code FIELDGUIDE for $101 or more off a Medbridge sub...
SLAP Lesions and AC Sprains 14.02.2022 21:22
Today Austin takes us through types of SLAP lesions and AC sprains with a special focus on relevant anatomy, classifications, and testing. Support the show Use code FIELDGUIDE for $101 or more off a Medbridge subscription . Support the podcast and get study guides and bonus episodes at Patreon.com/physiofieldguide . Find more resources and subscribe to practice questions at PhysioFieldGuide.com ....
Shoulder Instability and Dislocations 02.02.2022 26:17
We're back with another shoulder diagnosis: instability and dislocations. You should definitely be able to recognize complications and know what kind of imaging to request following different dislocations. We also review the Beighton score for assessing general hypermobility. Support the show Use code FIELDGUIDE for $101 or more off a Medbridge subscription . Support the podcast and get study...
Calcific Tendonitis and Parsonage-Turner Syndrome 05.01.2022 14:07
There are a few uncommon shoulder conditions that might mimic more typical orthopedic conditions and could trip you up on the exam. Even though you may not see very many of these patients in the clinic, we would expect them to show up on the OCS. Today we cover calcific tendonitis and Parsonage-Turner Syndrome and how to distinguish them from more common conditions and from each other. Support the...
Rotator Cuff-Related Pain: Impingement and Tears 29.12.2021 25:33
Now that Austin has covered a framework for classifying and treating shoulder pain, today we'll take a closer look at what is classically known as shoulder impingement and rotator cuff tears. This episode describes the standard model for these diagnoses as well as the problems with those models and the current push to leave them behind. Support the show Use code FIELDGUIDE for $101 or more of...
STAR Shoulder Pain Classification System 13.12.2021 27:58
There's currently a hot debate going on about how we should categorize, diagnose, and treat shoulder pain. Classic diagnoses like impingement have been sharply criticized, so Austin takes us through an alternative system that may serve you well in the clinic and on the OCS: the Staged Approach to Rehabilitation Classification: Shoulder Disorders, or STAR-Shoulder approach, proposed by McClure...
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome 15.11.2021 22:38
We've got a messy diagnosis this week: thoracic outlet syndrome. David breaks the diagnosis down by anatomy and compressed structure to help make sense of a syndrome that has poor evidence and little consensus. Support the show Use code FIELDGUIDE for $101 or more off a Medbridge subscription . Support the podcast and get study guides and bonus episodes at Patreon.com/physiofieldguide . Find...
Adhesive Capsulitis CPG: Examination and Treatment 25.10.2021 23:45
Today we finish up the adhesive capsulitis CPG by covering examination and treatment. Support the show Use code FIELDGUIDE for $101 or more off a Medbridge subscription . Support the podcast and get study guides and bonus episodes at Patreon.com/physiofieldguide . Find more resources and subscribe to practice questions at PhysioFieldGuide.com . DISCLAIMER: The information in this podcast is shared...
Adhesive Capsulitis CPG: Clinical Course and Differential Diagnosis 18.10.2021 21:37
Since adhesive capsulitis is the only shoulder diagnosis for which we currently have a CPG, it's worth spending two episodes to cover this in a bit more depth. Today Austin covers part 1 of the adhesive capsulitis CPG, including the sections on prevalence, clinical course, and diagnosis. Support the show Use code FIELDGUIDE for $101 or more off a Medbridge subscription . Support the podcast a...
Knee OA Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment 22.09.2021 32:25
Since there are not yet any PT CPGs for knee OA, we pull together information from textbooks, articles, and two physician CPGs to cover what does and doesn't work for knee OA. We also review physiology, diagnosis, and an easy little CPR at the end. Support the show Use code FIELDGUIDE for $101 or more off a Medbridge subscription . Support the podcast and get study guides and bonus episodes a...
Patellar Tendinopathy and Other Knee Conditions 31.08.2021 28:37
Today Austin covers a host of knee conditions, including jumper's knee, clergyman's knee, carpenter's knee, and just about any other profession's knee. Listen in to learn about various knee tendinopathies, bursitises, growth plate disorders, and more. Support the show Use code FIELDGUIDE for $101 or more off a Medbridge subscription . Support the podcast and get study guides an...
Total Knee Arthroplasty CPG 09.08.2021 31:36
We're back with a new episode covering the APTA's 2020 TKA CPG and with a new MedBridge promo code! Use code FIELDGUIDE for a discount on any of Medbridge's individual plans. Contact us if you want a link for a discount on group plans! Support the show Use code FIELDGUIDE for $101 or more off a Medbridge subscription . Support the podcast and get study guides and bonus episodes at P...
Patellofemoral Pain CPG 24.02.2021 37:56
The CPG on patellofemoral pain is both long and dense, so Austin takes us through an information-packed episode with a very helpful practice question at the end to tie it together and explain how you should expect to use this information on the OCS exam. Support the show Use code FIELDGUIDE for $101 or more off a Medbridge subscription . Support the podcast and get study guides and bonus episodes...
Knee Articular Cartilage Lesions CPG 16.02.2021 21:16
We finish the Knee Pain and Mobility Impairments: Meniscal and Articular Cartilage Lesions CPG (2018 revision) with this episode focused on articular cartilage lesions and surgeries. Additionally, we include an overview of the 5-stage decision tree model this CPG recommends and how the OCS exam might use information like this on the exam. Support the show Use code FIELDGUIDE for $101 or more off a...
Meniscal Lesions CPG 07.02.2021 21:11
Today we cover the meniscus portion of the CPG also known as the Knee Pain and Mobility Impairments: Meniscal and Cartilage Lesions Revision 2018. Additionally, we pull in a CPG from the British Journal of Sports Medicine and some extra material to explain the CPG's recommendations. Support the show Use code FIELDGUIDE for $101 or more off a Medbridge subscription . Support the podcast and ge...
ACL Injury Prevention CPG, Copers, and Non-Copers 24.01.2021 14:40
ACL injuries are one of the most studied orthopedic injuries, and we just couldn't get everything we'd like to say about them into the knee ligament sprain episode. So in this episode, David covers mechanisms behind non contact ACL injuries, the ACL injury prevention CPG, and ACL-deficient copers and non-copers. Support the show Use code FIELDGUIDE for $101 or more off a Medbridge subscr...
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