Smart tool for force measurements during knee arthroscopy: in vivo human study

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Surgical Simulation
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Knee arthroscopy is a common surgical procedure requiring specialized skills.
• Current training methods for arthroscopy may lack objective performance metrics.
• Virtual reality (VR) systems offer potential for enhanced surgical training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the forces generated during knee arthroscopy tasks.
• To compare force patterns between experienced surgeons and trainees.
• To inform the development of realistic haptic feedback for VR arthroscopy simulators.

Main Methods:

• A six-axis force torque sensor-equipped probe was utilized.
• Orthopaedic surgeons and trainees performed 11 distinct tasks during 10 standard knee arthroscopies.
• Force data was collected and analyzed to identify patterns and magnitudes.

Main Results:

• The study presents the magnitude and patterns of forces encountered during knee arthroscopy.
• Significant differences in force patterns were observed between senior and junior surgeons.
• These force patterns can be used to develop objective measures of surgical skill.

Conclusions:

• The measured forces provide valuable data for creating realistic haptic feedback in VR arthroscopy systems.
• Differences in force application highlight potential for objective arthroscopic skill assessment.
• This research can contribute to improved training and performance evaluation in knee arthroscopy.