Musculoskeletal for the AANP FNP exam
Lower-yield but tested. Cluster these systems together. Master the high-yield items: low back pain red flags, OA vs RA, gout, common ENT infections, anemia by MCV, and STI treatment. This chapter has 16 topics, a video lecture, an audio lesson, clinical scenarios, exam pearls and a quiz.
What you will learn
- Identify low back pain red flags
- Differentiate OA, RA, and gout
- Apply Centor criteria for pharyngitis
- Approach anemia by MCV
- Treat common STIs per CDC
Topics in this chapter
- Low back painAcute LBP workup, red flags (cauda equina, infection, cancer, fracture), conservative vs imaging, sciatica.
- Joint complaintsKnee, shoulder, hip, elbow common problems. Ottawa knee/ankle rules. Adhesive capsulitis, rotator cuff.
- Osteoarthritis and chronic painOA management ladder, fibromyalgia diagnosis and treatment, polymyalgia rheumatica (recap), spondyloarthropathies.
- Eye conditionsRed eye differential, acute angle-closure glaucoma, retinal emergencies, common refractive errors, diabetic retinopathy.
- ENT conditionsOtitis externa, otitis media (recap), sinusitis (recap), epistaxis, pharyngitis (recap), neck mass workup.
- Anemia workupMicrocytic vs macrocytic vs normocytic, iron studies, B12 deficiency, hemolytic, anemia of chronic disease.
- Coagulation disordersBleeding disorders (vWD, hemophilia, ITP, TTP), thrombophilia, DIC, anticoagulant reversal recap.
- Infectious diseaseBacterial vs viral, antibiotic class quick reference (covered Pharm), tick-borne, travel-related, sepsis recognition.
- Oncology basicsCommon cancer presentations, oncologic emergencies (SCC, tumor lysis, hypercalcemia, SVC, febrile neutropenia), survivorship.
- STIs (consolidated recap)Comprehensive STI screening recap, treatment, expedited partner therapy, HIV PrEP/PEP.
- Rash recognitionErythema multiforme, scarlet fever, RMSF, meningococcemia, Lyme erythema migrans, fifth disease, roseola.
- Inflammatory & autoimmune arthritis (RA, SLE)Rheumatoid arthritis vs osteoarthritis, RF and anti-CCP, the 2010 ACR/EULAR scoring approach, and systemic lupus erythematosus with ANA, anti-dsDNA, and the ACR criteria pattern.
- Fractures you must recognizeScaphoid fracture and anatomic snuffbox tenderness with avascular necrosis risk, Colles fracture, hip fracture, pelvic fracture, and tibial and fibular stress fractures.
- Foot & lower-leg overusePlantar fasciitis, Morton's neuroma, and medial tibial stress syndrome (shin splints): how to tell these common foot and lower-leg overuse problems apart.
- Soft tissue & nerve entrapment of the legBaker's (popliteal) cyst, piriformis syndrome, and hamstring strain: common soft-tissue and nerve-related complaints of the leg and posterior thigh.
- Bone infection & metastatic bone diseaseAcute osteomyelitis recognition and workup, and bone metastases including common primary cancers, pain patterns, and oncologic emergencies.
The full chapter is part of the membership. Open this chapter
Last updated November 4, 2026. Verify exam details against the official AANPCB Candidate Handbook before exam day.