ARTHROSCOPY LEARNING IN VIRTUAL REALITY: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND METANALYSIS.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Medical Education
• Virtual Reality Simulation

Background:

• Medical residency workload reduction necessitates innovative training methods.
• Orthopedic residents seek skill enhancement without increased patient risk.
• Arthroscopy is a frequent orthopedic procedure suitable for simulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate Virtual Reality (VR) effectiveness in developing arthroscopic skills.
• To assess VR training's impact on medical students and orthopedic residents.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
• Searched major databases (PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science).
• Included studies comparing VR arthroscopic training versus traditional methods.

Main Results:

• Individuals training with VR simulators demonstrated a trend toward decreased arthroscopic execution time.
• Significant improvements in arthroscopic surgical skill execution were observed in VR-trained participants.
• VR simulators proved effective in skill acquisition for arthroscopic procedures.

Conclusions:

• Virtual Reality simulators are effective tools for developing arthroscopic surgical skills.
• VR offers a safe and effective alternative for training medical students and orthopedic residents.
• Evidence supports VR as a valuable adjunct in surgical education.