Three-dimensional Printed Surgical Simulator for Kirschner Wire Placement in Hand Fractures.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Medical Simulation
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Closed reduction and percutaneous pinning (CRPP) for hand fractures is a complex procedure requiring extensive practical training.
• Developing effective and accessible teaching methods for CRPP is crucial for surgical education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a realistic, low-cost, and reproducible 3D simulator for teaching CRPP of common hand fractures.
• To assess the perceived realism, educational utility, and overall usefulness of the simulator among surgical trainees and experts.

Main Methods:

• Utilized computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) to create 3D hand models with common fractures.
• Employed 3D printing for mold creation, and polyurethane foam with iron for radiopaque bones; silicone for soft tissues.
• Evaluated the simulator with five plastic surgery residents and five consultants via a 12-question anonymous survey.

Main Results:

• Both residents and consultants rated the simulator highly for realism (average 4.48/5 and 4.68/5, respectively).
• Educational utility was rated exceptionally high (average 5/5 by residents, 4.95/5 by consultants).
• Overall usefulness was rated 5/5 by both groups, indicating strong positive feedback.

Conclusions:

• Anatomically accurate and realistic 3D simulator for CRPP of hand fractures was successfully created.
• The simulator is low-cost, easily reproducible, and shows significant promise as an educational tool.
• Initial feedback strongly supports the simulator's realism, educational value, and overall usefulness for surgical training.