FRACS Orthopaedic Surgery Fellowship Examination Syllabus

Curriculum domains

The FRACS Orthopaedic Surgery Fellowship Examination syllabus (AOA 21 Training Program - Orthopaedic Surgery Curriculum (Australian Orthopaedic Association, 2024); supplemented by RACS Guide to SET and ISCP Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery Curriculum 2021 (UK, structural reference only)) is organised into 18 curriculum domains. PRIMEX maps every domain below to study topics and learning objectives so you can track coverage as you prepare.

The 18 domains

• Orthopaedic Basic Sciences — Bone biology, biomechanics, cartilage, implant materials, wound healing, nerve and tendon biology.
• Orthopaedic Anatomy — Regional anatomy of shoulder, elbow, wrist/hand, hip, knee, ankle/foot, spine and compartments.
• Trauma - Upper Limb — Fractures and dislocations of clavicle, humerus, forearm, wrist and hand.
• Trauma - Lower Limb and Pelvis — Pelvic ring, acetabular, hip, femur, tibia, ankle and foot fractures.
• Hip and Knee Arthroplasty — Primary and revision THA and TKA, periprosthetic joint infection.
• Spine — Degenerative, traumatic and deformity conditions of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine.
• Shoulder, Elbow and Hand — Rotator cuff, instability, nerve compression, tendon disorders, hand surgery.
• Foot and Ankle — Hallux, Achilles, ankle ligaments, flatfoot, diabetic foot and lesser toe disorders.
• Paediatric Orthopaedics — DDH, Perthes, SCFE, cerebral palsy, clubfoot, growth plate injuries, OCD, limb deformity.
• Oncology and Metabolic Bone Disease — Bone tumours, metastases, osteoporosis, Paget's, sarcoma.
• Orthopaedic Infections — Septic arthritis, acute and chronic osteomyelitis, necrotising fasciitis.
• Sports Medicine — ACL, meniscus, posterolateral corner, shoulder impingement, SLAP, foot sports injuries.
• Nerve Compression and Upper Limb — Thoracic outlet, de Quervain's, ganglion, PIN compression, wrist instability.
• Perioperative and Orthopaedic Medicine — VTE, tourniquet, blood management, imaging, compartment syndrome, fat embolism, CRPS.
• Reconstructive Orthopaedics — Bone grafting, external fixation, flap coverage, amputation, nonunion/malunion.
• Arthroscopy and Minimally Invasive Surgery — Knee, hip, shoulder arthroscopy; rotator cuff and ACL reconstruction.
• Evidence-Based Orthopaedics — Landmark trials: FAITH, FLOW, SPRINT, DRAFFT, HEALTH, CSAW, Moseley, BMI and arthroplasty.
• Advanced and Subspecialty Topics — Hip preservation, UKA, reverse TSA, total ankle, robotic surgery, HTO, limb reconstruction.

How PRIMEX maps to the syllabus

• Every domain above is mapped to PRIMEX study topics, so the curriculum tracker shows coverage domain by domain.
• Question banks, AI-graded SAQ practice and viva or OSCE simulation draw from these same mapped domains.
• Spaced-repetition scheduling and progress analytics surface the domains where your coverage is thinnest.

Frequently asked questions