The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume
-
J Bone Joint Surg Am · May 2013
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyA comparison of orthopaedic resident performance on surgical fixation of an ulnar fracture using virtual reality and synthetic models.
Surgical trainees develop surgical skills using various techniques, with simulators providing a safe learning environment. Fracture fixation is the most common procedure in orthopaedic surgery, and residents may benefit from simulated fracture fixation. The performance of residents on a virtual simulator that allows them to practice the surgical fixation of fractures by providing a sense of touch (haptics) has not yet been compared with their performance using other methods of practicing fracture fixation, such as a Sawbones simulator model. The purpose of this study was to assess whether residents performed similarly on a newly developed virtual simulator compared with a Sawbones simulator fracture fixation model. ⋯ The newly developed virtual ulnar surgical fixation simulator, which incorporates haptics, shows promise for helping surgical trainees learn and practice basic skills, but it did not attain the same standards as the current standard Sawbones simulator. The procedural measures used to assess resident performance demonstrated good reliability and validity, and both the Sawbones and the virtual simulator showed evidence of construct validity.
-
J Bone Joint Surg Am · May 2013
Randomized Controlled TrialMethylprednisolone injections for the treatment of Morton neuroma: a patient-blinded randomized trial.
Morton neuroma is a common cause of neuralgia affecting the web spaces of the toes. Corticosteroid injections are commonly administered as a first-line therapy, but the evidence for their effectiveness is weak. Our primary research aim was to determine whether corticosteroid injection is an effective treatment for Morton neuroma compared with an anesthetic injection as a placebo control. ⋯ Corticosteroid injections for Morton neuroma can be of symptomatic benefit for at least three months.