Video-Based Learning in Orthopedic Education: A Systematic Mapping Review

Video-based learning (VBL) has emerged as a transformative tool in surgical education, offering dynamic visual and auditory resources that enhance technical skill acquisition, procedural understanding, and learner engagement in orthopedic surgeries. Its potential to improve surgical proficiency and patient outcomes by providing standardized, accessible training makes it increasingly relevant in this specialized field, where precision and expertise are paramount.

This systematic mapping review aims to categorize and synthesize existing literature on VBL applications, educational purposes, outcome domains, and study populations in orthopedic education.

A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, including studies published from up to August 30, 2024. Inclusion criteria encompassed peer-reviewed articles in English focusing on VBL in orthopedic surgery education, encompassing residents, medical students, and practicing surgeons. Study designs included randomized controlled trials, observational studies, and qualitative analyses. Data extraction involved thematic coding of research objectives, learner groups, clinical focus, and intervention characteristics, with analysis performed to map trends and identify gaps.

Out of 1222 identified records, 61 studies met all inclusion criteria. Research output has increased since 2015, with primary contributions from the USA, UK, Canada, China, and Germany. Target learners were predominantly orthopedic residents (42.6%, n=26) and medical students (26.2%, n=16), followed by fellows/surgeons (13.1%, n=8) and allied health professionals (9.8%, n=6). The clinical focus centered predominantly on procedure-specific training (41.0%, n=25) and general orthopedic education (26.2%, n=16). Core applications of VBL were assessment and feedback (31.1%, n=19), knowledge acquisition (27.9%, n=17), and technical skill acquisition (21.3%, n=13). Evaluated outcomes focused primarily on technical performance (36.1%, n=22) and knowledge retention (19.7%, n=12). Reported outcome domains focused mainly on technical performance (36.1%, n=22) and knowledge retention (19.7%, n=12). 52.5% (n=32) of studies reported positive educational/clinical improvements, while 27.9% (n=17) focused on feasibility or reliability. However, experimental randomized controlled trials comprised only 24.6% (n=15) of designs, and current evidence remains limited by study heterogeneity, short-term evaluations, and sparse reporting on non-technical skills or long-term retention.

Rather than supplanting established teaching methods, VBL represents a promising prospective supplement within modern orthopedic education by leveraging short instructional videos and peer-reviewed repositories. To maximize its educational utility, academic institutions should incorporate VBL into objective skill evaluations, whereas future studies must prioritize large-scale multicenter designs and clinical outcomes to evaluate its true impact on surgical practice.