Circumventing Acute Compartment Syndrome: Outcomes from a Cadaver-based Course in Fasciotomy Procedural Skills

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education
• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Trauma Surgery

Background:

• Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) is a critical surgical emergency.
• Effective and complete fasciotomy is essential for managing ACS.
• Current training may not adequately prepare surgeons for all fasciotomy procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of cadaver-based training on general surgeons' fasciotomy skills.
• To evaluate proficiency in upper extremity, thigh, and leg fasciotomies post-training.
• To determine if cadaver training improves surgical competence for ACS management.

Main Methods:

• A 2-day cadaver-based course was conducted for 117 practicing general surgeons.
• Training included formative and summative assessments using validated scoring tools.
• Performance scores were analyzed using ANOVA with repeated measures to evaluate effectiveness.

Main Results:

• Post-training scores showed significant improvement across all three procedures (p < 0.001).
• Pre-training scores met competence standards for lower leg fasciotomy only.
• Thigh and upper extremity fasciotomy scores improved significantly after the course.

Conclusions:

• Cadaver-based training enhances general surgeons' proficiency in performing upper extremity, thigh, and lower leg fasciotomies.
• This training method is effective for improving independent surgical performance in ACS.
• The course provides a valuable platform for surgical skill development in emergency procedures.