Validation of orthopaedic bench models for trauma surgery

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Surgical Education
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Assessing surgical technical skills is crucial for effective training.
• Objective and validated assessment tools are needed to evaluate proficiency in fracture fixation procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate three fracture fixation models for technical skills assessment.
• To compare the sensitivity of different models in distinguishing between novice, intermediate, and expert surgeons.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 21 surgeons (novice, intermediate, expert) to perform three procedures on cadaveric porcine and synthetic bone models.
• Utilized video recording with Objective Structural Assessment of technical skills (OSATS) and hand movement analysis via the Imperial College Surgical Assessment Device (ICSAD).

Main Results:

• Video scores significantly differed between skill groups for all procedures (p < 0.05).
• Movement analysis differentiated groups for dynamic compression plates but showed ceiling effects for intramedullary nails and external fixators.
• The porcine dynamic compression plate model was highly rated (85%) for skills assessment.

Conclusions:

• A low-cost, high-fidelity porcine dynamic compression plate model is validated for surgical skills assessment.
• Synthetic bone models for intramedullary nails and external fixators require improvement for better sensitivity in skills assessment.
• Validated objective assessment tools are essential for advancing surgical training methods in trauma care.