Immersive Virtual Reality based Training and Assessment of an Orthopedic Surgical Process

Ancillary surgical staff (physician assistants, nurse practitioners, surgical assistants) play a crucial role in assisting surgeons during surgical procedures. This paper focuses on studying the impact of immersive Virtual Reality training environments for an orthopedic surgical procedure called condylar plating. The proper insertion and positioning of the plate on the patient's femur is critical for the success of the surgery; these tasks are challenging for residents, experienced surgeons as well as the surgical staff assisting as part of the surgical team. A discussion of three assessment scenarios proposed is outlined followed by the initial results involving nine participants. The training environments were using the Vive™ based immersive platform. The main outcomes of the assessment activities are discussed along with qualitative feedback from the surgical staff participants involved in this study.