Comparison

Acute Care PT Case Files vs MSK Physio

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Acute Care PT Case Files

Prepare for your physical therapy exams with interactive clinical case studies. Sharpen critical thinking skills with detailed case breakdowns, evidence-based recommendations, and NPTE-style review questions. Learn in the context of real patients to enhance your clinical practice and exam readiness.

Highlights
  • 31 acute-care clinical cases
  • NPTE-style review questions
  • Evidence-based practice recommendations
  • Interactive study modes (Study, Exam, Bookmark)
  • Progress tracking and quiz customization
  • Notes section for each case
  • iCloud support for multi-device use
Features
Read full description

Master acute care physical therapy through realistic patient cases designed to strengthen clinical reasoning and prepare you for clinical practice and the NPTE. Physical Therapy Case Files: Acute Care presents 31 evidence-based patient cases covering a wide range of conditions encountered in the acute care setting. Each case guides you through examination, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment planning, interventions, and evidence-based clinical recommendations. Written by experienced clinicians, researchers, and educators, these cases help you apply classroom knowledge to real patient care while reinforcing concepts commonly tested on the NPTE. FEATURES • 31 realistic acute care physical therapy cases • NPTE-style review questions with detailed explanations • Evidence-based treatment recommendations and clinical decision-making • Coverage of neurologic, cardiopulmonary, musculoskeletal, and medically complex patients • Ideal for physical therapy students and clinicians preparing for the NPTE • Learn clinical reasoning through real patient scenarios POWERFUL STUDY TOOLS • Study, Exam, and Bookmark modes • Review answers immediately in Study Mode • Simulate testing conditions in Exam Mode • Focus on bookmarked questions for targeted review • Remove mastered questions from future quizzes • Create quizzes with 25, 50, 75, 100, 150, or all questions • Track quiz scores and monitor your progress DESIGNED FOR iPHONE & iPAD • Highlight important concepts • Create notes for every case • Search the complete library • Organize content with tags • Sync across devices using iCloud • Customize font sizes for comfortable reading APP CONTENTS Each case includes: • Case Description • Key Definitions • Understanding the Health Condition • Physical Therapy Patient/Client Management • Examination, Evaluation, and Diagnosis • Plan of Care and Interventions • Evidence-Based Clinical Recommendations • Comprehension Questions and Answers Whether you're preparing for the NPTE or strengthening your acute care clinical skills, Physical Therapy Case Files: Acute Care provides a practical, case-based approach that mirrors real-world patient care. Expanded Apps Terms of Service: https://expandedapps.com/terms-of-use/ Expanded Apps Privacy Policy: https://expandedapps.com/privacy-policy/

About

MSK Physio

A comprehensive reference tool for physiotherapists, offering detailed information on musculoskeletal anatomy, joint mechanics, muscle actions, special tests, and neurological assessments. Designed as a handy revision aid for students and professionals.

Highlights
  • Joint information (type, range of motion, patterns)
  • Muscle details (origin, insertion, innervation, action)
  • Ligament attachments and function
  • Special tests for joints and conditions
  • Neurodynamic testing and assessments
  • Red/yellow flag screening
  • Anatomical planes and axes
Features
Read full description

MSK Physio App is a brand new innovative app for physiotherapists created by Johnson Physio. It is aimed at physiotherapists working in musculoskeletal outpatients and contains information about: General info: planes axis of movement terms of relation Joints - each joint has it's own page which contains information about: type of joint range of movement capsular pattern close and loose packed positions muscles that act on the joint convex/concave rule for the joint Muscles - split into upper limb, lower limb and spinal/trunk and contains information about: origin insertion innervation action Ligaments - split into each joint and contains information about: attachments function Special tests - describes what is being tested, how to perform the test and positive result for: each joint proprioception coordination balance thoracic outlet syndrome cervical artery dysfunction Neuro: dermatomes and peripheral nerve innervation myotomes reflexes special tests neurodynamic testing Red flags, yellow flags and special questions for general health Abbreviations References The app is not intended to replace text books but to be a handy revision aid. It has been designed for students, newly-qualified or rotational physiotherapists working in musculoskeletal physiotherapy. It may also be useful for any healthcare professional who works in the musculoskeletal speciality.

Screenshots

Acute Care PT Case Files4 screens
MSK Physio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Acute Care PT Case Files at 100% against MSK Physio's 0%. Acute Care PT Case Files also leads on price (Free vs $7.99) and rating (4.7 vs 1.0). MSK Physio's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Acute Care PT Case Files is free to download; MSK Physio costs $7.99 up front. Acute Care PT Case Files sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per 7 days. MSK Physio asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Acute Care PT Case Files holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Acute Care PT Case Files has 17 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Acute Care PT Case Files's written reviews are positive against 0% of MSK Physio's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Acute Care PT Case Files ships an update every 14 months, MSK Physio every 41 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Acute Care PT Case Files versus MSK Physio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAcute Care PT Case FilesMSK Physio
PriceFree — better$7.99
Rating4.7 (17 ratings) — better1.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings17 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 14 months — betterEvery 41 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.612.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB2 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperExpanded AppsEmma Johnson

Customer experience

Acute Care PT Case Files

All ratings17 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

MSK Physio

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Acute Care PT Case Files

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly Access$11.997 Days
  • Monthly Access$19.991 Month
One-time1
  • Acute Care Case Files: Critical Care, NPTAE, FCCPT License Exam$49.99
None

MSK Physio

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Acute Care PT Case Files free?
Acute Care PT Case Files is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MSK Physio free?
MSK Physio costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Acute Care PT Case Files or MSK Physio?
Acute Care PT Case Files is rated higher. Acute Care PT Case Files averages 4.7 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while MSK Physio averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Acute Care PT Case Files or MSK Physio have ads?
Neither Acute Care PT Case Files nor MSK Physio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Acute Care PT Case Files or MSK Physio?
Acute Care PT Case Files ships an update every 14 months, and MSK Physio every 41 months. Most recently, Acute Care PT Case Files was updated on October 23, 2026 and MSK Physio on October 9, 2026.

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