A distributed collaborative simulation environment for orthopedic surgical training

The use of Virtual Reality (VR) simulators has increased rapidly in the field of medical surgery for training purposes. In this paper, the design and development of a Virtual Surgical Environment (VSE) for training residents in an orthopaedic surgical process called Less Invasive Stabilization System (LISS) surgery is discussed; LISS plating surgery is a process used to address fractures of the femur bone. The development of such virtual environments for educational and training purposes will accelerate and supplement existing training approaches enabling medical residents to be better prepared to serve the surgical needs of the general public. One of the important aspects of the VSE is that it is a network based simulator. Our approach explores the potential of emerging Next Generation Internet frameworks and technologies to support such distributed interaction contexts. A discussion of the validation activities is also presented, which highlights the effectiveness of the VSE for teaching medical residents and students.