An analysis of the Orthopaedic In-Training Examination rehabilitation section.

Objective: One subject tested by the Orthopaedic In-Training Examination (OITE) is rehabilitation. Our purpose was to analyze the OITE's rehabilitation section to (1) identify the rehabilitation subjects that are tested, (2) evaluate trainee performance on this section, and (3) evaluate the literature cited for this section as an aide to the trainee preparation for future OITE examinations.

Design: This study included OITE examinations from 2004 through 2009. The rehabilitation sections of these examinations were analyzed for content, type of questions asked (taxonomy 1: direct recall; taxonomy 2: diagnosis; taxonomy 3: evaluation/decision making and development of a treatment plan), and literature cited. The mean score in the rehabilitation section of the OITE from 2004 to 2009 was also evaluated, and literature citations were tabulated.

Setting: Orthopaedic surgery residency.

Results: In the 2004-2009 OITE examinations, a total of 1619 questions were administered, of which 53 (3.3%) related to rehabilitation. The most common rehabilitation questions assessed knowledge of prosthetic/orthotics (20.8%) and neuro-orthopedics (20.8%). Other questions addressed amputation (18.9%), physical therapy treatment and outcomes (18.9%), rehabilitation terminology (9.4%), and spinal cord injury (7.7%). Most frequently, the questions evaluated the trainee's direct recall of the subject (51%), evaluation/decision making and development of a treatment plan (30.1%), and diagnosis (18.9%). The mean score in the rehabilitation section of the OITE from 2004 through 2009 was 54.1% (range, 40% to 77.8%). A total of 53 references was used. The 3 most common references were the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery-American Volume (10), Orthopaedic Knowledge Update (volumes 7 through 9) (8), and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research (7).

Conclusion: To our knowledge, our study is the first to analyze the rehabilitation section of the OITE. Our results will help the trainee prepare for the examination by focusing on the appropriate content and literature.