Force measuring technology has been around for decades but has only recently become more affordable and accessible to the mass physiotherapy market. The ability to objectively measure force and track changes over time provides the patient with a source of motivation, takes the guess work out of manual strength testing, provides us with deeper insights into force production and provides funders with objective measures of progress.

​With increasing amounts of time and money being spent on equipment and collecting force data, maybe it’s a good time to pause and consider what value we are getting from these devices in our shoulder rehabilitation?

"Orthopaedic triage" is becoming a common term in the world of physiotherapy and musculoskeletal care. As healthcare systems evolve to meet the rising demand for elective musculoskeletal and orthopaedic services, orthopaedic triage has found itself in the spotlight.

An increasing number of physiotherapists are working in “orthopaedic triage” roles in elective (non-acute) settings in both the private and public sector. Elective services include anything that is not urgent or emergent. In New Zealand, examples of elective orthopaedic services include community-based ACC funded ICP/ECP pathways, referrals to private orthopaedic services and referrals by GPs to elective orthopaedic services in the public hospital.

​But here’s the issue – the term “orthopaedic triage” doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone. Depending on where you work or who you talk to, "orthopaedic triage" can take on different meanings, leading to confusion and inconsistent practices. A shared understanding of what “orthopaedic triage” is in the elective setting is needed to help us prepare for these roles as they emerge.

In this post, we’ll take a look at what orthopaedic triage is (and isn’t), we’ll explore definitions and why these matter, and review the purpose of triage and some of the factors that shape it. 

Musculoskeletal physiotherapists have a therapeutic ‘bag of tricks’ that includes a range of interventions such as advice, pain science education, acupuncture, exercise and manual therapy to name a few. What turns a ‘trick’ into an effective ‘treatment’ is its application within a biopsychosocial framework, guided by clinical reasoning, informed by evidence within a person-centered, shared decision-making model of care.