Knee arthroscopy simulator: comparing the arthroscopic skills in orthopedic surgery residents

Background: Simulators are an excellent option for improving minimally invasive surgical techniques, such as arthroscopic knee surgery.Methods: A knee arthroscopy simulator course was carried out using the "VirtaMed ArthroS™" knee medical training simulator.Orthopedic surgery residents participated in a comprehensive five-stage program, working in pairs on 2-h exercises per stage for a duration of 10 months.Each resident was evaluated at the beginning and end of each stage, during which the following parameters were recorded: diagnostic run time, telescopic misalignment time, and the percentage of damage to the femoral and tibial cartilage.Results: Regarding the arthroscopic journey, 3 rd -year residents showed a significant improvement from the first to all subsequent stages' final runs.The time of telescopic misalignment improved between runs of stage 5.No significant improvement was observed in the percentage of damage to the femoral or tibial cartilage.The 4 th -year residents also demonstrated significant improvement from the initial to the final route through the stages.The time of telescopic misalignment progressively decreased at the end of all stages without being statistically significant, as did the percentage of tibial cartilage damage.A significant difference in femoral cartilage damage was noted between the beginning and end of the third and fifth stages.Conclusions: Participation in a practical knee arthroscopy simulation course enables orthopedic surgery residents to significantly enhance their arthroscopic skills.