A pilot study to evaluate the face & construct validity of an orthopaedic virtual reality simulator

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Surgical Simulation
• Medical Education Technology

Background:

• Surgical training requires effective simulation tools.
• Virtual reality (VR) platforms offer immersive training environments.
• Validating VR modules is crucial for their adoption in surgical education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the face and construct validity of the Precision OS proximal femoral nail trauma module.
• To evaluate the perceived use of this VR simulation in surgical training.
• To gather participant feedback on the simulation's effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• A comparative interventional study involving novice, intermediate, and expert orthopaedic surgeons.
• Participants performed a simulated proximal femoral nail procedure on the Precision OS VR platform.
• Objective metrics (time, X-rays) and novel simulation-derived metrics were recorded; face validity was also assessed.

Main Results:

• The proximal femoral nail module demonstrated construct validity, with significant performance differences between novice and intermediate groups (p=.018).
• Intermediate surgeons showed improved performance and shorter procedural times compared to novices (p=.022).
• A subset of intermediate surgeons reached expert proficiency levels, indicating skill acquisition potential.

Conclusions:

• The Precision OS proximal femoral nail module exhibits strong face and construct validity.
• VR simulation shows promise for enhancing surgical trauma training.
• Further investigation into VR simulation's role in surgical education is warranted.