To become Board Certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS), Candidates must submit a six-month Case List containing at least 35 operative cases. However, when an Orthopaedic Surgeon recertifies their ABOS Board Certification, the Diplomate must submit a Case List that contains a minimum of 35 surgical cases over a 12-month period.
There are orthopaedic surgeons who may not perform 35 surgical cases over a 12-month time period. Those ABOS Diplomates are asked to submit the last 35 operative cases that they have performed. After a review, those Diplomates may be allowed to recertify through a Non-Operative Pathway. Many of these orthopaedic surgeons still perform surgeries and see patients but often have additional responsibilities such as in research or administration.
