Objective structured assessment of technical skill in upper extremity surgery

Objective assessment of technical skills in hand surgery has been lacking. This article reports on an Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills format of a multiple bench-station evaluation of orthopedic surgery residents' technical skills for 3 common upper extremity surgeries.

Twenty-seven residents (6 postgraduate year [PGY] 2, 8 PGY 3, 8 PGY 4, and 5 PGY 5) participated in the examination. Each resident performed surgery on a cadaveric specimen at 3 stations, trigger finger release (TFR), open carpal tunnel release, and distal radius fracture fixation. A board-certified hand surgeon evaluated trainee performance at each station, using a procedure-specific detailed checklist, a validated global rating scale, and pass/fail assessment. A resident post-testing evaluation was collected.

Construct validity with correlation between year in training and detailed checklist scores was demonstrated for TFR and carpal tunnel release; between year in training and global rating scores for TFR and distal radius fracture fixation; and between year in training and pass/fail assessment for TFR. Criterion validity was demonstrated by the correlation between global rating scale scores, detailed checklist scores, and pass/fail assessment for TFR, carpal tunnel release, and distal radius fracture fixation. Time to complete the surgery was not correlated with surgical performance. Residents rated the multiple-station Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills format as highly educational.

This study reports that a surgeon's ability to release a trigger finger does not correlate specifically to his or her ability to perform a carpal tunnel release or to perform plate fixation of a radius fracture. The results of this study would indicate that, for 3 different surgical simulations representing procedures of varying complexity, assessments by a single assessment tool is not adequate. To completely understand a resident's abilities, assessment by checklist (understanding the steps of the surgery), global rating scales (assessment of basic surgical skills in light of lesser or greater complexity surgeries), and pass/fail assessment (examination of adverse events) are all necessary components.

Therapeutic II.