Virtual reality surgical simulator training of residents and early-career surgeons for pedicle screw placement: a systematic review and meta-analysis

To evaluate the effectiveness of Virtual reality (VR) simulation training compared with traditional teaching methods for residents and early-career surgeons training in pedicle screw insertion.

PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched from inception to December 2025. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing VR simulator training with traditional training approaches for pedicle screw placement in residents and early-career surgeons were included. A random-effects model was applied to pool outcomes, with treatment effects expressed as mean differences or risk ratios with 95% confidence intervals.