The Contracting Retraining Schedule Improves the Retention of Simulation-Based Basic Arthroscopic Skills

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Skills Training
• Orthopedic Surgery

Background:

• Effective retraining schedules are crucial for retaining surgical skills.
• Optimizing spaced learning is key for medical education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of three spaced retraining schedules (expanding, equal, contracting interval) on arthroscopic operative skills and cognitive performance.
• To assess skill retention at 1 week and 1 month post-training.

Main Methods:

• 27 orthopedic residents without prior experience participated in a randomized controlled trial.
• Participants underwent massed training followed by spaced retraining in Expanding, Equal, or Contracting groups.
• Operative skills and cognitive performance were assessed using simulator tasks and quizzes at multiple time points.

Main Results:

• The contracting group showed faster knee diagnostic completion times at 1 week compared to the equal group.
• At 1 month, both equal and contracting groups had shorter Task 4 completion times than the expanding group.
• No significant differences were found in other assessed skills or cognitive scores between groups.

Conclusions:

• A contracting retraining schedule, characterized by higher practice density later in the sequence, enhances short-to-intermediate term retention of basic arthroscopic surgical skills.
• This retraining approach is practical within current duty hour constraints.
• The findings suggest potential improvements in operative efficiency and patient safety through optimized retraining schedules.