PT Management of Orthopedic Conditions I

8-week course during the third term of the DPT curriculum is the second course in a series of four courses in orthopedic physical therapy. This course emphasizes differential diagnosis, clinical decision-making, and development and implementation of a plan of care for patients demonstrating musculoskeletal dysfunction of the knee, ankle, and foot.

This course is the second in a series of four orthopedic courses, which applies the Patient Management Model to musculoskeletal conditions associated with the knee, ankle, and 2 foot. Examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, intervention and outcome assessment for the knee, ankle, and foot are linked with diagnostic imaging and conservative and surgical management. Interventions integrate joint and soft tissue manual therapy techniques with therapeutic exercise. Emphasis is placed on clinical decision-making and evidenced-based practice in individuals with orthopedic conditions. Exercise applications that are utilized throughout the lifespan that address identified impairments, activity, and participation limitations. Students will apply clinical decision making strategies to practice, design, modify and progress exercise programs with proper biomechanical alignment and proper muscle balance for optimal performance. All material in this course will be delivered in a synchronous format, to include face-to-face lab instruction time for higher-level activities to solve problems and apply what has been learned outside the classroom to new situations. The active learning strategies facilitate “thinking on your feet.”