Validation of a three-dimensional printed pediatric middle ear model for endoscopic surgery training

The purpose of this study is to assess the anatomical appropriateness of a three-dimensional (3D) printed pediatric middle ear model with a replaceable middle ear unit as an endoscopic ear surgery (EES) simulator.

Single-blinded, prospective, proof-of-concept study conducted in a simulation operative suite. A simulator was developed through segmentation of source images and multi-material 3D printing. Subjects were asked to point to seven anatomical sites before and after a short anatomy presentation of a human middle ear photograph. They also filled out a survey about the feasibility of the model. Outcome variables included survey scores, pre-anatomy lesson (PreAL) and post-anatomy lesson (PostAL) quiz scores.

There were 24 participants (19 residents, 1 fellow, and 4 attendings), none with self-reported proficiency in EES. The PreAL mean score was 4.42 and PostAL quiz mean score was 5.32 (average improvement of 43% [CI = 17%-70%]; p = .003). The higher the level of training, the higher the PreAL scores (0.55 points per year of training; p = .004). The subspecialty (otology, other, in-training) was also associated with the PreAL scores (p = .004). Total survey score means were 22.8 (out of 30).

The results of our study suggest that our model has adequate anatomical high fidelity to mimic a real, pediatric temporal bone for EES. As 3D printing technologies continue to advance, the quality of ear models has the potential to provide improved surgical training for pediatric EES.

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