Ankle Arthroscopy Procedural Volume Is Low Among Graduating Orthopaedic Surgery Residents

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Surgical Education
• Arthroscopy Procedures

Background:

• Ankle arthroscopy is an increasingly popular procedure.
• Resident training requires adequate exposure to common surgical techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the case volume and variability of ankle arthroscopy performed by graduating orthopaedic surgery residents from 2016 to 2020.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education surgical case log data (2016-2020).
• Categorization of leg/ankle arthroscopy procedures.
• Comparison of average case volume and presentation of case volume variability using percentiles.

Main Results:

• Average ankle arthroscopy case volume per resident showed no significant change (2016: 6.2 cases; 2020: 6.1 cases).
• Total leg/ankle procedures increased by 19% during the study period.
• Significant variability in case volume was observed, with the 90th percentile performing 13 cases in 2020, compared to the 50th percentile (5 cases) and 10th percentile (1 case).

Conclusions:

• Orthopaedic resident exposure to ankle arthroscopy remains low and highly variable.
• Despite an increase in overall leg/ankle procedures, ankle arthroscopy case numbers have not risen.
• Residency programs should consider strategies to enhance resident training in ankle arthroscopy.