Case Review Eligibility
Determining Eligibility for Case Review
You may be eligible for Case Review with as few as 30 logged cases, provided these cases include at least 8 cases that ABFAS can evaluate. However, you are required to log all cases you perform after completing residency, not just the minimum needed for eligibility.
After becoming Board Qualified, to be eligible for Case Review you must meet each of the following requirements:
Foot Surgery Eligibility
- You must log in PLS all cases you perform after residency.
- At least 30 of the cases you log must include a minimum of one Foot Surgery Eligible Procedure or a minimum of one RRA Surgery Eligible Procedure. Eligible Procedures are listed in the ABFAS Procedure Categories Table.
- Among the cases you log, you must have at least 8 Foot and/or RRA cases that meet ABFAS requirements for evaluation. See Selection of 8 Cases for Evaluation below for more information.
RRA Surgery Eligibility
- You must log in PLS all cases you perform after residency.
- At least 30 of the cases you log must include a minimum of one RRA Surgery Eligible Procedure. Eligible procedures are listed in the ABFAS Procedure Categories Table.
- Among the cases you log, you must have at least 8 RRA cases that meet ABFAS requirements for evaluation. See Selection of 8 Cases for Evaluation below for more information.
Selection of 8 Cases for Evaluation
As you continue logging, PLS will automatically track and report your progress toward the 30-case minimum. It will also determine when you have at least 8 cases for ABFAS to evaluate in Case Review.
Factors That Affect Case Selection
The list below highlights the primary factors ABFAS uses to determine the 8 cases for evaluation, however, additional considerations may apply. This process is applied consistently for all candidates.
- At least 8 of the logged cases must include a Core Procedure. The ABFAS Procedure Categories Table lists Core Procedures.
- Each case must be from a unique patient.
- Cases that were part of a previous Case Review are not eligible.
- Recent cases are prioritized, but procedures must be performed far enough in advance to allow for appropriate patient healing and follow-up documentation.
- For Foot Surgery certification, ABFAS will prioritize Foot surgery cases whenever possible. If insufficient eligible Foot cases are logged, RRA cases may be used to meet the minimum requirements.
Additional Eligibility Considerations
- Management of fractures or dislocations must include some type of internal or external fixation.
- Removal of internal or external fixation devices or implants, or foreign bodies is not counted.
- Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) procedures and application of biological dressings are not acceptable.
- ABFAS accepts minimally invasive surgery procedures.
Checking Your Eligibility in PLS
If you click the link at the top of the “Manage Case” page labeled “Do I meet the requirements?”, PLS will generate an eligibility report. This report will show whether you have the minimum case counts and meet the other requirements for Case Review.
If you have taken Case Review before and were not successful, ABFAS will not select cases that were previously reviewed. This means that even if you meet the minimum case counts, you may not have enough new cases to meet the case selection criteria. For this reason, it is important to continue logging all of your cases until you pass Case Review.