This site contains the South Australian Clinical Prioritisation Criteria (CPC) for most frequently referred orthopaedics conditions.

Orthopaedics conditions

Please note this is not an exhaustive list of all conditions for outpatient services and does not exclude consideration for referral unless specifically stipulated in the orthopaedics exclusions section.

Out of scope

Not all medical conditions are covered by the CPC, as certain conditions may be considered out of scope or managed by other specialist services. 

Adults

  • nil

Paediatric

  • dislocation of any joint – refer to Emergency or Urgent Care Clinic for joint to be relocated then patient to be referred to Orthopaedic Surgery as required
  • hand injuries (tendon injuries, fractures) are out of scope for Orthopaedic Surgery at Women’s and Children’s Hospital, refer instead to Hand trauma — paediatric Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
    Note: Referrals for hand injuries are accepted by Orthopaedic Surgery at Flinders Medical Centre.
  • hand/upper limb congenital conditions – refer to Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
  • infection of bone and/or joint – contact Orthopaedic Registrar on-call urgently to discuss concerns. Where there is suspicion of acute bone or joint infection: do not commence antibiotics until discussed with specialist medical officer, contact the on-call registrar urgently to discuss clinical concerns
  • Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE)/ Slipped Upper Femoral Epiphysis (SUFE), contact on-call Orthopaedic Registrar urgently to discuss clinical concerns
  • systemic inflammatory disorders - refer to Rheumatology department
  • patients from the age of 16 years should be referred to adult Orthopaedic Surgery services

Exclusions for public specialist outpatient services

Not all orthopaedic conditions are appropriate for referral into the South Australian public health system. The following are not routinely provided in a public specialist outpatient service.

Adult exclusions

  • acute or sub-acute non-specific spinal pain
  • clinical symptoms not severe enough to require surgical intervention
  • chronic non-active Charcot neuroarthropathy
  • Dupuytren’s nodule without functional impairment or contracture
  • frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis)
  • refer to rheumatology department for systemic inflammatory disorders

Paediatric exclusions

  • refer to individual condition pages for condition-specific exclusions

Emergency information

See the individual condition pages for more specific emergency information.

Feedback

We welcome requests for further information or feedback on the CPC and website, please refer to the relevant form below.

Please email the completed form to Health.CPC@sa.gov.au.

Review

The Orthopaedic CPCs are due for review:

  • Adult conditions — May 2024
  • Paediatric conditions — August 2030

Evidence statement

For a copy of the evidence statement, please email Health.CPC@sa.gov.au.