Development of a performance model for virtual reality tumor resections.

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Surgical Simulation
• Human Factors Engineering

Background:

• Hand ergonomics significantly impacts surgical psychomotor performance.
• Virtual reality (VR) simulation offers a platform to study surgical skills.
• Previous work established the importance of hand ergonomics in VR brain tumor resections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a hypothetical model integrating human and task factors in simulated brain tumor resections.
• To investigate hand ergonomics for optimal safety and efficiency in neurosurgery.
• To test hypotheses regarding expert vs. novice performance and ergonomic adaptation.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of simulated brain tumor resections on the NeuroVR platform.
• Division of simulated tumors into four quadrants to assess varying ergonomic difficulty.
• Measurement of time, force applied, and tumor volume removed by experts and novices.

Main Results:

• Neurosurgeons spent more time in direct contact with critical tumor areas compared to novices.
• Experts adapted applied forces under different ergonomic conditions to achieve similar tumor resection volumes.
• Medical students showed no variation in hand ergonomics across quadrants, indicating a lack of adaptive capacity.

Conclusions:

• Expert neurosurgeons possess a greater capacity for hand ergonomic adaptation during simulated surgical tasks.
• The proposed model integrates findings, emphasizing the role of learning in acquiring hand ergonomic adaptation.
• Improved hand ergonomics in surgical simulation can enhance safety and efficiency.